The Chinese civilization led the world for a long period in history. It had contributions in science and technology in the Silk Road. China had many new inventions which were the most important contributions: compass, dynamite, paper making and printing techniques, water well drilling, cast iron technologies, alchemy, sericulture Chinese medicine (in particular, acupuncture), etc. Many people became interested in others because of the knowledge or technology people had. Eventually silk-reeling machines, matches, cement, electricity, leather, rubber, tobacco, refinery, etc. spread to China through the Silk Road. 

Handicrafts

All of these also helped the Western Civilization. “Compass greatly facilitated oceanic navigation. Paper-making & printing techniques were brought to Europe via the Middle East, and greatly promoted the spread and development of knowledge and culture. The peoples in Central Asia learned to drill well and develop irrigation systems of wells connected by underground channels from the Chinese migrants and troops via the Silk Road, which boosted the economy of the desert region states. The cast iron technology precipitated the transition of many Central Asian peoples from the Neolithic Age to the Iron. Dynamite became extensively used in Europe in wars, triggering a revolution in weapons and warfare and giving the European powers an edge over the Orient. Alchemy, a technology developed by Chinese Taoist religion, spread to the Arabic world which in turn, influenced Europe and formed the basis on which modern chemistry had grown. ”

“Silk became both a component and a symbol of this cultural diffusion. It was seen as a valuable index of civilization with regard to religious ritual, kingship, artistic production, and commercial activity. Silk stood for the higher things in life. It was a valuable, traded commodity, as well as a historical medium of exchange.”

“Silk both epitomized and played a major role in the early development of what we now characterize as a global economic and cultural system. Europeans of the 19th century saw this new globalism not just as an interesting historical occurrence, but also as something that resonated with the growing distribution of silk use and manufacturing of the time….”

“During this "third" Silk Road, silk, while still a highly valued Chinese export, was no longer the primary commodity.”