The Silk Roads

c. 200–900 CE

Ceramic camel figurine with a rider and cargo in a museum display case

The Silk Roads were a vast trade network that connected people across Asia and helped to spread religions like Buddhism

The Han Dynasty

206 BCE–220 CE

Confucianism and Daoism are revived, Buddhism arrives, and trade along the Silk Roads flourishes

Ancient T-shaped Chinese banner with intricate patterns, featuring animals and abstract designs, predominantly in red and brown hues.

Important terms and concepts

Han dynasty

Xin Zhui (Lady Dai)

Silk

Lacquer

Archer Yì 後羿

Cháng’é 嫦娥

Nüwa

Learn more about the Han dynasty

Period of Division

220–589 CE

The four hundred years between the fall of the Han dynasty and the reunification of China by the Sui dynasty

Banner with the text "IN THE WORKS!" in bold letters, surrounded by illustrations of classical architectural elements and sculptures on circular backgrounds.

Sui Dynasty

581-618 CE

A short-lived period of unification before the golden age of the Tang dynasty 

Banner with the text "IN THE WORKS!" in bold letters, surrounded by illustrations of classical architectural elements and sculptures on circular backgrounds.

Central Asia

500–800 CE

Central Asia was home to many important cultural developments along the Silk Road, including at Bamiyan in Afghanistian

Ancient stone Buddha statue with intricate carvings
Learn more about Central Asia
Ancient stone carvings and tombs at the archaeological site of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, carved into pink-hued rock cliffs.

VIDEO: The Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan

Important terms and concepts

Bamiyan

Oil Painting

Iconoclasm

Cultural diffusion

Buddhism

Tang Dynasty

618–906 CE

A period marked by cosmopolitanism and a blossoming of arts and culture

Han Gan, Night-Shining White, c. 750, Tang dynasty, ink on paper, handscroll, Image: 12 1/8 x 13 3/8 in. (30.8 x 34 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

VIDEO: Learn more about Han Gan’s Night-Shining White, a horse beloved by a Tang dynasty emperor

Tang dynasty Bactrian camel sculpture in the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco

Video coming soon: Tang tomb figurines and Bactrian camels on the Silk Roads

Ancient stone Buddha statue with intricate carvings
Colorful ceramic horse figurine with blue, orange, and beige details, showing a close-up of the head and part of the saddle against a dark green background.

Important terms and concepts

Silk Roads

Trade route

Sancai

Ink painting

Cultural diffusion

Buddhism

Learn more about the Tang dynasty

The Seljuq Empire

10th–14th centuries

A large empire that spanned West and Central Asia

A Seljuq ceramic bowl with a camel caravan

Important terms and concepts

Seljuqs (Seljuks)

Min’ai ware

Learn more about Ancient West Asia

Additional Resources

Colorful sculpture of a camel with several traditionally dressed figures riding on its back, set against a plain black background.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART

The Sogdians: Influencers on the Silk Roads is a digital exhibition that explores Sogdian art through existing material culture. It focuses on the golden age of the Sogdians, from the fourth to the eighth centuries CE, when Sogdiana flourished through trade and agriculture. Sogdian emigrant communities spread across China, South and Southeast Asia, and into the Central Asian steppe and Mongolia.

The Sogdians: Influencers on the Silk Roads

Check out the resource
golden chinese characters on a blue piece of paper

Bring the Silk Roads to Life

INTERNATIONAL DUNHUANG PROGRAMME

Explore manuscripts, paintings, textiles and artefacts from the Eastern Silk Roads, as well as a range of associated resources curated for you.

Check out the resource

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