What we usually call the Silk Road started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), then capital of the Western Hah, and extended all the way to the Baltic Sea. As one end of the road extended towards' the west, the other end extended to Japan. In 107 A.D., the Japanese emperor sent a delegation of 160 people to China, learning the art of embroidery, 
sewing, and the weaving of brocade. After the delegation returned to Japan, the members reported to the emperor on what they had seen, and presented the silk and brocade they had brought back. In over 100 years since that time, many artisans from Japan were sent to China to learn specific crafts, while China sent its weavers to Japan, bringing about significant progress in ancient Japan in tile art of silk. In the 7"' and 8'h centuries, the ceremonial gown of the Japanese emperor had patterns of the sun, the moon, the star, the mountain, the dragon, the pheasant and the fire embroidered over red silk, quite similar to what was being worn by Chinese emperors.
In Lectures on the Art of Clothing published in Japan, garments in the Japanese Asuka Times (552-645), Nara Times (673-794) and the early Heian Times (794-1192) were called the age of Sui and Tang imitations. Japanese clothing in this period were strongly influenced by the Tang garments, and "professional decorative patterns' adopted and modified from Chinese patterns, including tile crane, the ocean waves, the turtle shell, the phoenix and the Kirin, were used specifically for the rank of government officials during the Heian Period. When Japan sent Kenntoushi to China, they also brought their own silver, silk, cotton and fabrics to trade with the Chinese, thus promoting the exchange of garment culture between the two countries.
Now that we have mentioned the Silk Road, we should not ignore the Silk Road over the sea. The so-called Silk Road over the sea refers to the trade between China and the coastal and island cities of Southeast Asia and Africa over sea route. It appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and came into full bloom in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The Roman Empire at that time offered ivory, rhinoceros horns and hawksbill turtle shell to file Eastern Han court, Other countries including Persia (now Iran), India, Sri Lanka and Cambodia brought their pearls, feathers, rhinoceros horns, ivory, spices, hawksbill turtle shells, glass, and cotton into China, while accepting various kinds of Chinese silk fabrics. Through the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Silk Road over the sea reached its peak in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The golden brocade and silk fabrics made in Naning, Hangzhou and Suzhou, as well as all kinds of gauze, satin and brocade were sold to Korea, Japan, the Philippines, India, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Somalia, and Tanzania. From the second half of the 16~ century, the Spaniards occupied the Philippines, and started massive buying of silk from China. A number of sea routes from Manila to various ports in the United States were opened to transport silk from China to America.
The Silk Road across the continent of Eurasia, the Silk Road over the sea, and the Silk Road that connected Southwestern China with the surrounding countries brought the soft and lustrous silk of China to countries in Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and Europe, along with the technology of silkworm raising, reeling, silk reeling, and weaving of brocade. This was a historical event that gave Chinese garment its great impact on tire rest of the world. At the meantime, garments, crafts and styles of other countries had their own profound influence on Chinese garments.
