The historical Silk Road comprised an overland and a maritime route, both of which facilitated the transfer to Europe of South and East Asian goods and ideas, from Chinese tea to inventions like paper, gunpowder, and the compass, as well as cultural products like Buddhist scripture and Indian music. Likewise, the Silk Road – primarily the overland route, which also passed through the Arab world to Europe – gave China access to Indian astronomy, plants, and herbal medicines, while introducing it to the Buddhist and Islamic faiths.
历史上的丝绸之路由一条陆路和一条海路组成，这两条路促进了商品和思想传向欧洲和东南亚，有中国茶叶，有纸、火药和指南针这样的发明，也有佛经和印度音乐这样的文化产品。类似地，丝绸之路——主要是指途径阿拉伯世界抵达欧洲的陆路通道——让中国接触到印度的天文学、植物和草药，也接触到了佛教和伊斯兰教信仰。