Overland Silk Road

Timeline

1. c. -138–800Chang'an-Dunhuang-Shule · ShaanxiUnder Emperor Wu of Han, the Hexi Corridor was opened, linking the Central Plains with the Western Regions and forming a fixed overland route for silk, horses, and cultural exchange; the Tang further extended it to Central Asia and Persia.
2. c. 800–1200Tarim Basin oases · XinjiangDuring the Tang and Song, overland trade reached its peak, with northern and southern routes and steppe routes coexisting; oasis cities such as Dunhuang, Khotan, and Kashgar became caravan distribution and cultural exchange centers.
3. c. 1200–1350Dadu (Beijing) · BeijingAfter the Yuan unification, the relay system spanned Eurasia, and in the 1320s overland caravans could still travel relatively safely; Dadu became a trade hub linking East Asia and Central Asia, overlapping heavily with Mongol caravan routes.
4. c. 1400–1900Guangzhou · GuangdongMing maritime bans and the development of modern ocean shipping shifted bulk trade to sea routes; the overland Silk Road gradually declined to a regional trade route, until parts regained transport significance in the railway era.