Silk Road in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–24 AD) From 139 BC to 129 BC, Zhang Qian set out on his journey to the Western Regions twice, pioneering the world-famous route.
The Silk Road reached its most successful period during the Tang Dynasty. China was finally stable, and the threats from enemies were lessening.
People stopped traveling the Silk Road when ships became stronger and more reliable. This made it easier and safer to transport goods by water rather than overland.