Establishment of the Silk Road

130 BCE, China

The Silk Road was a series of trade routes set up by the Han Dynasty, connecting China and the Far East to the West. It had a tremendous global impact, facilitating the exchange and spread of different religions such as Buddhism and Islam in addition to architecture, music and art from various cultures. With the opening of trade, inventions such as gunpowder and paper flooded into Europe along with spices and other commodities. Although the routes were closed in 1453, today the Silk Road is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a testament to its cultural and economic significance.