EXPLORER

Zhang Qian

200 BC - 114 BC

Zhang Qian

Zhang Qian (Chinese: 張騫; died c. 114 BC) was a Chinese diplomat, explorer, and politician who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside of China in the late 2nd century BC during the Western Han dynasty. He was one of the first official diplomats to bring back valuable information about Central Asia, including the Greco-Bactrian remains of the Macedonian Empire as well as the Parthian Empire, to the Han dynasty imperial court, then ruled by Emperor Wu of Han. He played an important pioneering role for the future Chinese conquest of lands west of Xinjiang, including swaths of Central Asia and even lands south of the Hindu Kush (see Protectorate of the Western Regions). Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Zhang Qian is the 56th most popular explorer (down from 45th in 2019), the 121st most popular biography from China (up from 133rd in 2019) and the 3rd most popular Chinese Explorer.

Zhang Qian is most famous for his expedition to the west and his discovery of the Silk Road.

Memorability Metrics

Page views of Zhang Qian by language

Among EXPLORERS

Among explorers, Zhang Qian ranks 56 out of 498. Before him are Samuel de Champlain, Diego de Almagro, Giovanni Battista Belzoni, Sven Hedin, Henry Morton Stanley, and William Baffin. After him are Giovanni da Verrazzano, Henry Hudson, Himilco, Diogo Cão, Hernando de Soto, and Nikolay Przhevalsky.

Most Popular Explorers in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings

Samuel de Champlain
1567 - 1635
HPI: 72.51
Rank: 50
Diego de Almagro
1475 - 1538
HPI: 72.51
Rank: 51
Giovanni Battista Belzoni
1778 - 1823
HPI: 72.46
Rank: 52
Sven Hedin
1865 - 1952
HPI: 72.34
Rank: 53
Henry Morton Stanley
1841 - 1904
HPI: 72.31
Rank: 54
William Baffin
1584 - 1622
HPI: 72.23
Rank: 55
Zhang Qian
200 BC - 114 BC
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 56
Giovanni da Verrazzano
1485 - 1528
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 57
Henry Hudson
1570 - 1611
HPI: 71.66
Rank: 58
Himilco
550 BC - 500 BC
HPI: 71.23
Rank: 59
Diogo Cão
1440 - 1486
HPI: 71.23
Rank: 60
Hernando de Soto
1500 - 1542
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 61
Nikolay Przhevalsky
1839 - 1888
HPI: 70.68
Rank: 62

Contemporaries

Among people born in 200 BC, Zhang Qian ranks 5. Before him are Patanjali, Kanada, Judas Maccabeus, and Simon Thassi. After him are Lentulus Batiatus, Mithridates V of Pontus, Mattathias, Jonathan Apphus, John Hyrcanus, Gaius Claudius Glaber, and Aristobulus I. Among people deceased in 114 BC, Zhang Qian ranks 1. After him is Yizhixie.

Others Born in 200 BC

Go to all Rankings

Patanjali
LINGUIST
200 BC - 150 BC
HPI: 80.61
Rank: 1
Kanada
PHILOSOPHER
200 BC - 160 BC
HPI: 76.49
Rank: 2
Judas Maccabeus
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
200 BC - 160 BC
HPI: 75.31
Rank: 3
Simon Thassi
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 135 BC
HPI: 72.44
Rank: 4
Zhang Qian
EXPLORER
200 BC - 114 BC
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 5
Lentulus Batiatus
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 100 BC
HPI: 71.33
Rank: 6
Mithridates V of Pontus
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 120 BC
HPI: 70.99
Rank: 7
Mattathias
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
200 BC - 166 BC
HPI: 69.97
Rank: 8
Jonathan Apphus
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 143 BC
HPI: 69.38
Rank: 9
John Hyrcanus
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 104 BC
HPI: 68.55
Rank: 10
Gaius Claudius Glaber
MILITARY PERSONNEL
200 BC - 100 BC
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 11
Aristobulus I
POLITICIAN
200 BC - 103 BC
HPI: 67.67
Rank: 12