A journey on the Silk Road in the year 2000 is a less adventurous undertaking than when General Zhang Qian, the "Great Traveler," set off in 138 B.C. toward the unknown lands of Central Asia. His mission for the Han Emperor Wudi was to locate Western allies against the Huns and find the famous horses of Ferghana, swifter than swallows, that were to be exchanged for silk.
The trade route, which until then had functioned sporadically and unofficially, was thus formally established. West-bound caravans transported silk, spices and ceramics, while goods such as glass, gold and grapes from the Mediterranean world came eastward. Indian holy men joined traders on the road to convey the Buddha's message to China via Central Asia.
Conversely, the 7th-century monk Xuan Zang traveled to India in search of the sacred texts of Buddhism. His fictitious adventures as the "Monkey King" were told in the humorous 16th-century novel, "Journey to the West," popularized in TV serials and cartoons even to this day.