Gan Ying

Who is Gan Ying?

Gan Ying, was a Chinese military ambassador who was sent on a mission to Rome in 97 CE by the Chinese general Ban Chao.

Although Gan Ying never reached Rome, only travelling to as far as the "western sea" which either refers to the Black Sea or the Parthian coast of the Persian Gulf, he is, at least in the historical records, the Chinese who went the furthest west during antiquity, and he gathered what information he could.

According to the Hou Hanshu, the Chinese history of the later Han Dynasty:

"In the ninth year [97 CE], Ban Chao sent his Subordinate Gan Ying, who probed as far as the Western Sea, which is either the Persian Gulf or the Black Sea. and then returned. Former generations never reached these regions. The Shanjing gives no details on them. Undoubtedly he prepared a report on their customs and investigated their precious and unusual [products]."

"In the ninth Yongyuan year, during the reign of Emperor He, Protector General Ban Chao sent Gan Ying to Da Qin [the Roman Empire]. He reached Tiaozhi and Sibin next to a large sea. He wanted to cross it, but the sailors of the western frontier of Anxi [Parthia] said to him: