James Millward (Georgetown University), author most recently of The Silk Road:  A Very Short Introduction, discusses with National Committee Senior Director for Education Margot Landman the background of the Silk Road, what (other than silk) traveled along it, and its contemporary role and uses in China and Central Asia.  For those interested in further reading, Professor Millward recommends:
Peter Golden, Central Asia in World History (Oxford Univ Press, 2011)
Valerie Hansen, The Silk Road:  A New History (Oxford Univ Press, 2012)
James Millward, Eurasian Crossroads:  A History of Xinjiang (C. Hurst & Co., Ltd., 2007)