The Chinese envoy Zhang Qian was probably the first official who brought back reliable information about the economic and social conditions of Central Asia to the Han dynasty imperial court. Zhang visited the Ferghana valley-which he calls Dayuan-around the 2nd century BC, and gave the following description:

“Dayuan lies southwest of the territory of the Xiongnu, some 10,000 li directly west of China. The people are settled on the land, plowing the fields and growing rice and wheat. They also make wine out of grapes. The people live in houses in fortified cities, there being some seventy or more cities of various sizes in the region.”1