The Shōsōin in Nara contains a unique collection of very ancient works of art from different countries along the Silk Road, many of which reached Japan via the trade routes. The works that are conserved in the Shōsōin were offered to the temple by the Empress Komyo and her daughter Koken after the death of the Emperor Shomu in the year 756 AD. They form a carefully chosen, coherent collection and have influenced generations of artists.

Three centuries after the Buddha’s lifetime, under the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, Buddhism spread to numerous countries in South and Southeast Asia via the land and the sea routes. The expansion of Buddhism led to the construction of a large number of religious sites, such as the Phra Patom Chedi, which is the oldest monument in Central Thailand. It was discovered in the 19^th century by the future king Rama IV of Thailand, who built a Chedi over the old, ruined Stupa.

The first semi-nomadic Turkish tribes living north of the Chinese border used to inhabit cylindrical tents with dome-like roofs known as öy or üy, which are still in use in several areas along the Silk Road. The tombs of these early tribes bore a similar shape. They were originally made of metal and plaster, a structure which was later replaced by similar-looking stone constructions. Funerary rites and architecture spread from Central Asia along the Silk Roads to the Balkans, and they survived over many centuries until the Ottoman Empire.

The presence of the Portuguese has led to the introduction of Western architectural elements in Goa and other places in India. The result of this encounter of traditions was a highly original style both for religious buildings (churches, convents and Hindu temples) and secular buildings (civil and residential).

The trade relations which developed between Portugal and China from the 16^th century onwards led to the mutual exchange of knowledge as well as artistic and political influences. New foods and technologies were introduced in both countries. The city of Macau, with its architectural mix of Eastern and Western elements, is one striking example of the encounter between these two cultures.

Orgins of Bozok site in Kazakhstan goes back to the period of Turkic khaganates. The Bozok site is a cult center of early medieval era unify such as other cult-memorial complexes of the eastern and western outskirts of Eurasian steppes. Bozok is a manifestation of the initial period of the development of the Eurasian expanse by Turkic-speaking nomads.

The Xinjiang region of western China, the Mongols, and the Uighurs all enjoy unique yet related artistic and architectural traditions.  From the mid-19^th century until the present day, religious and political changes have combined with the multiple nationalities and ethnicities in these regions to form individual artistic cultures, from the practice of fine arts, to Buddhist art and architecture, and the products of the contemporary art scene.

Cities and urban centres grew up along the trade routes that passed through Central Asia between the seventh and fifteenth centuries. The transmission of cultures and ideas along with the passage of trading goods had a fundamental effect on the architecture and even the structure of cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Merv. New rulers took control of the lands along the trade routes, such as the Arab conquests and later the Mongols.