The Silk Road was a trade route. It brought prosperity to both China and the Muslim regions in the golden age period. This route existed in the pre-Islamic period. The last link of the Silk Road (Karakoram highway) before it crosses over to Kashghar in China goes through a most beautiful part of Pakistan and I will share a few pictures that I took some years ago. below a view from the Hunza area of Pakistan.
The ABCs of Islam and Sufism 