Exchanges. Direct contact between China and the West came during the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), when its military thrust reached the Tarim Basin, and the Chinese established garrisons there. Some historians argue that it was from the reign of Xiao Wu Di that trade between East and West, through caravan traffic over rugged desert roads, came into being. It was said that many new things were introduced to China, such as grape wine and lucerne (alfalfa). Chives, cucumbers, sesame, coriander, and many other products followed. In exchange, silk, oranges, peonies, azaleas, and many other items found their way to the West.

Contacts. By the early eighth century, Tang China reached its golden age, and its power and prestige promoted extensive contacts with the outside world during the imperial period. The Chinese monk Xuanzang traveled across...