In 138BC, Chinese diplomat and explorer Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to the western regions. The Han dynasty envoy failed to achieve his emperor’s goal of launching a pincer attack against the Xiongnu nomadic confederation, but he unexpectedly discovered a route. The land route started from ...
Source: [SCMP](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3361762/long-silk-road-silkworm-cocoons-already-existed-uzbekistan?utm_source=rss_feed)