Episode list

The Battle of the Silk Road: Western China, 111 BC The Han Dynasty builds a fortress at the Chinese desert oasis of Dunhuang to control access to the Silk Road. The trade route from China to the Roman Empire generates massive profits and taxes. But powerful nomadic Xiongnu tribes threaten the trade. Can the wily Han general Ban Chao defeat both the Shanshan King and the mighty Kushan Empire and regain control of the Silk Road?

Greatness, Fall, and Rebirth: At the beginning of the fifth century, China is in disarray. The Xiongnu warlord Juqu Mengxun breaks through the fortress walls and captures Dunhuang. Together with the Indian Buddhist monk Dharmaksema, he begins to build magnificent cave temples at Mogao. In 655, Wu Zetian becomes empress of the Tang Empire. Women gain greater freedom and Buddhism spreads to Japan and Korea. But despite progress, decline threatens.