Zhang Qian

Zhang Qian, who died around 114 BC, was a diplomat, explorer, and politician for the Western Han dynasty in the late 2nd century BC. Serving under Emperor Wu, he became one of the earliest official envoys to gather detailed intelligence about Central Asia for the Han court—covering areas like the remnants of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and the Parthian Empire. His journeys laid the groundwork for the Silk Road, which connected East and West and is often seen as an early step toward globalization.

Emperor Wu commissioned Zhang Qian to establish trade routes and secure political allies. His missions opened up exchanges between distant regions, introducing new goods and kingdoms to one another.

The historian Sima Qian later compiled Zhang’s accounts in the 1st century BC. Around 114 BC, the Central Asian branches of the Silk Road were expanded largely because of Zhang’s explorations. Today, he is honored as a national hero in China for his role in opening the country—and the known world—to broader commercial and diplomatic opportunities.

Zhang Qian's Missions

Zhang Qian was born in Chenggu district, east of Hanzhong in Shaanxi province. He arrived in the capital, Chang’an (modern Xi’an), between 140 and 134 BC as a Gentleman serving Emperor Wu. At that time, the nomadic Xiongnu controlled Inner Mongolia and the Western Regions (Xiyu), blocking Han contact with distant lands. The emperor wanted to build trade ties but was stymied by Xiongnu hostility.

In 138 BC, the Han court sent Zhang Qian—a military officer familiar with the Xiongnu—to the Western Regions with a group of ninety-nine members. His goal was to forge an alliance with the Yuezhi against the Xiongnu.

He was accompanied by a guide named Ganfu, a captured Xiongnu. To reach the Yuezhi in modern Tajikistan, Zhang had to cross Xiongnu territory, where he and Ganfu were captured and enslaved for thirteen years. During this time, Zhang married a Xiongnu woman, had a son, and earned the trust of the Xiongnu leader.

Eventually, Zhang, Ganfu, and Zhang’s family escaped. They traveled past Lop Nor, along the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, around the Kunlun Mountains, and through oasis fortresses in what is now Xinjiang, until they reached Dayuan and then the land of the Yuezhi. The Yuezhi were farmers who raised strong horses and grew crops like alfalfa, but they were too settled to fight the Xiongnu.