130 BC

Events in 130 BC 1

• 130 BC Silk Road opens under Emperor Wu Zhang Qian's mission links China to Central Asia and Rome Emperor Wu of Han sent diplomat Zhang Qian on a mission to forge alliances in Central Asia around 130 BC. Though the military alliance failed, Zhang Qian returned with knowledge of previously unknown kingdoms and trade routes. This opened the Silk Road — the network of overland and maritime routes connecting China to Rome via Central Asia, Persia and the Middle East, carrying silk, spices, glass, and ideas for the next 1,500 years.