Place

Ferghana Valley

Central Asian valley identified with Han accounts of Dayuan; the plotted point represents the wider region.

Coordinates40.50, 71.80

Historical namesDayuan

Related expeditions

139 BCE–126 BCE

Zhang Qian’s Mission to the Western Regions

Sent by Emperor Wu of Han to seek an alliance with the Yuezhi, Zhang Qian travelled west from Chang’an, survived long captivity by the Xiongnu, reached Central Asia, and returned with new information about lands and exchange networks beyond Han territory.

Sources and further reading

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Hong Kong Museum of History Exhibition on the Silk Road, Hong Kong Museum of History. Museum account of Zhang Qian’s mission, its Central Asian knowledge, and its relationship to later Silk Road connections.

Open in the interactive atlas