Did ancient China ever fight with ancient Rome?

China's Han Dynasty, about 36 BC, probably fought a Roman mercenary.

Biography of the History of Chen Han and Tang Dynasty: In 36 BC, Gan Yanshou, the capital of the Western Regions of the Western Han Dynasty, and Chen Tang, the deputy commander, led 40,000 soldiers to the Xiongnu to Zhi Zhi City (the former Soviet Union Chambul City) ... On the way to the expedition, the soldiers of the Western Han Dynasty noticed that Khan had a very strange mercenary. They formed a "fish scale array" with more than 100 infantry, and set up a "heavy wood city" outside Tucheng. This offensive formation consisting of round shields and the defensive means of building a thick wooden city outside the earthen city were the unique combat means of the Roman army in those days.

Is this strange team that Chen Tang and others saw in those years the remains of the First Legion of Rome that disappeared 17 years ago? Later, in the Battle of Zhi Zhi City, the Han army won a total victory, beheading 15 18 people, taking 145 people alive and surrendering 1000 people. Gan Yanshou and monk Chen took the prisoners back to China. At the same time, a county named "Li Gan" suddenly appeared on the map of Hexi region in the Western Han Dynasty, and Li Gan Castle was also established. A passage in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty says: "Li Gan County was established in the early Han Dynasty, with the name of the country as the county." "Li Gan" was exactly what China called Rome at that time. Since it is a county named after the country, this new county must have been set up to accommodate the Romans.

Moreover, this Li Gan county was later controlled by Ma Chao, a royal guard in Xiliang during the Three Kingdoms period. Some historians think that Ma Chao's military equipment and formation are somewhat similar to those of the Roman army.