Why did ancient China trade?

It was called the Silk Road because one of the major products traded was silk cloth from China. People throughout Asia and Europe prized Chinese silk for its softness and luxury. The Chinese sold silk for thousands of years and even the Romans called China the "land of silk". What goods did the Chinese trade? read more

Ancient China traded for the same reasons as everyone else: to get stuff they didn’t have enough of at home. And trade could be quite significant. One of the important drivers of China’s westward expansion under the Han dynasty was to secure trade routes through which it could acquire horses. read more

By the time Rome had conquered Egypt in 30 B.C., China had established trade routes to Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe. During the reign of the Song Dynasty, maritime trade extended China's reach to Korea and Japan. read more

The Silk Road introduced woolen goods to ancient China, which at the time was unfamiliar with wool and flax processing and weaving. Rugs, tapestries and carpets became valuable luxury goods. Trade also introduced several agricultural crops not native to China such as grapes, onions, cucumbers, etc. read more