why was the silk road important to china, central asia, and europe
(Source: West China---Xinjiang). The Silk Road was also called Silu in Chinese. It was a general name for the ancient strategic transportation channel which started from China and passed through Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe. In the 19th century, when the name of Silk Road was first used by a German geographer, it just included the land road from China's Xinjiang to central Asia. Later it was expanded gradually and reached West Asia, Europe and Africa. It took in land and water routes.
It is not only an important transportation route connecting the ancient world, but also a synonym for economic and cultural exchanges between the Western world and the oriental world. The Silk Road was an international passage with historical significance.