Is the historical "Silk Roads" still present and utilized today for exchanging trade goods?

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

This is a quick question and I am not asking for a full history lesson here, assume I already know about the Silk Roads and its importance to the development of world history in the Old World of Eurasia.

My question is are these "Roads" still being used today at all? Or they are completely abandoned in favor of more modern methods of Trade transportation such as Planes and Ships?

 

[Trunkage]

This is a quick question and I am not asking for a full history lesson here, assume I already know about the Silk Roads and its importance to the development of world history in the Old World of Eurasia.

My question is are these "Roads" still being used today at all? Or they are completely abandoned in favor of more modern methods of Trade transportation such as Planes and Ships?

I'd point out that the seas has been connecting asia to Europe for a millennia. And that didnt kill roads.

China has used roads as an integrated platform for their control of the global economy

 

[Satinavian]

Yep, today it is mostly by sea (which got even more attractive with the Suez channel. Also recently due to climate change some logistic firms experiment with the arctic route) . There are also importrant railroads connecting east and west Eurasia but those don't really follow the old silk road layouts for various reasons (borders, politics, suitability for railroads). Moving stuff by train has been the preferred method for long distances compaired to roads.

But China has also some prestige projects going to revive the old network and get more influence in central Asia.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

I don't know about ancient, pack animal trodden trails...
But have you heard about the so-called "New Silk Road"?

 

[Agema]

My question is are these "Roads" still being used today at all? Or they are completely abandoned in favor of more modern methods of Trade transportation such as Planes and Ships?

Basically, no they aren't used - not for much long-distance international trade, anyway.

Realistically, well used routes between places along the way will have been turned into modern roads. No point reinventing a path when all it needs is some asphalt on the existing one. But as major trading routes the old Silk Road has long been superceded by sea. And would need to be, because some areas of the journey go through some very unstable and dangerous territory (e.g. Afghanistan).

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Well, there's the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, a Chinese development strategy that involves heavy Chinese investment into the development of infrastructure such as roads, railway systems, ports, sea routes and whatnot in foreign countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. As you can probably guess from the name, it is inspired by and seen as a sort of modern reincarnation of the old Silk Roads, although its scope goes beyond the historical routes.

Depending on who you ask, the initiative is "a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future" or a Chinese bid at establishing a stranglehold on world affairs by making itself the center of the global economy.