<P> While the term is of modern coinage , the Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk ( and horses ) carried out along its length , beginning during the Han dynasty ( 207 BCE -- 220 CE ) . The Han dynasty expanded Central Asian sections of the trade routes around 114 BCE , largely through missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy , Zhang Qian . The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route . </P>
<P> While the term is of modern coinage , the Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk ( and horses ) carried out along its length , beginning during the Han dynasty ( 207 BCE -- 220 CE ) . The Han dynasty expanded Central Asian sections of the trade routes around 114 BCE , largely through missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy , Zhang Qian . The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route . </P>
what was traded on the silk road in ancient china
what was traded on the silk road in ancient china
silk horses
silk horses