Silk Road

A trade route that passed from the eastern borders of Europe through north India, then through the oasis kingdoms at the borders of the Himalaya mountain range and the Taklamakan desert, terminating in the desert regions of Tun-huang in western China. This route served as the primary path of commerce for the states along its way until it was cut off by the rise of Islamic empires after the 15th century. Its significance for Buddhism is that it was the principal path for the early transmission of Buddhism from India to China, and later for Chinese pilgrims travelling from China to India in search of teachings and scriptures.

A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 2003, 2004 (which is available in electronic version from answer.com)