<Tr> <Th> Reference no . </Th> <Td> 1442 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Region </Th> <Td> Asia - Pacific </Td> </Tr> <P> The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West . It was central to cultural interaction between the regions for many centuries . The Silk Road refers to both the terrestrial and the maritime routes connecting East Asia and Southeast Asia with East Africa, West Asia and Southern Europe . </P> <P> The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk carried out along its length, beginning in the Han dynasty (207 BCE--220 CE). The Han dynasty expanded the Central Asian section of the trade routes around 114 BCE through the 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>

Who used the silk road in ancient china
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