Silk Road in the Yuan Period

Timeline

1. c. 1271–1300Dadu · North ChinaThe Yuan court built a zhanchi relay network covering the empire, providing horse changes, food and lodging, and escorts, allowing overland caravans to travel relatively safely and on schedule between China and foreign polities such as the Ilkhanate.
2. c. 1301–1310Dunhuang · GansuOverland trade was active in the 1300s; European and West Asian merchants such as Marco Polo and his party traveled this route, with porcelain, silk, spices, and precious-metal currency in circulation, promoting cross-civilizational exchange of information.
3. c. 1350–1368Central Asian trade routes · Central AsiaPolitical division, warfare, and the Black Death at the end of the Yuan weakened the safety and frequency of Eurasian overland trade; after the fall of the Yuan the traditional Silk Road entered a relative lull and the importance of maritime routes rose.