The Silk Road The world-famous Silk Road is a series of route which connect the East and the West. It extends to more than 6000 kilometers, being named after the silk trade in ancient China. The Silk Road plays an important role on the development of trade civilization in China, the South Aisa, Europe and the Middle East. It was thought the Silk Road that the four great invention in China--papermaking, gunpowder, compass and painting,has been introduced to all over the world. Simplely, the Chinese silk, tea and porcelain has also been spreaded the world. The exchange of material culture is biolatered. Europe, in return, has exported various commodities and plants thought it, meeting the need of Chinese market.