Wander the Ancient Silk: Your Unmissable China Journey
Picture embarking into a carpet of living deserts where whisper tales of camel caravans and centuries-old city tales promising colorful bazaars. It’s not a journey–it’s a soul journey on China’s Silk Road. Buckle up for discovering secret caves, tasting electrifying scents, and sand beneath your feet? Come and take the journey of a lifetime!
In Xi’an, start under the long shadow of the massive Drum Tower as morning fog rolls in over historic city walls. Here, your own journey into the Silk Road begins in earnest. Attracted by the Terra Cotta Warriors who are buried directly outside of the city, you are sure to be impressed with the nicely aligned hordes of soldiers frozen in time. All the figures have a different facial expression which demonstrates the talent of Qin Dynasty artists. Walk through the oldest army’s barracks, reminisce the ominous sound of hooves and clanging of spears which once protected the empire’s heart.
Moving west by fast train, you come to the oasis of Dunhuang, on the frontiers of the Gobi. Here the Mogao Caves are hidden cathedrals hewn out of cliffs of sandstone. Step inside and discover walls adorned by thousands of breathtaking murals—Buddhist myths, courtly scenes, and heavenly dance spring to rich color under gentle gallery lighting. Allow the experts to lead the way and unveil hidden frescoes kept behind niches and explain the painstaking restoration techniques which maintain this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Further into the Earth’s lowest and hottest locality, the desert of the Turpan Depression, is lush vineyards defying the desert. Ancient karez irrigation channels — two-thousand-year-old underground tunnels — are delivering water from afar from mountains to vine-covered, lush grape rows. Stroll through grape-scented courtyards where locals hand you sweet raisins drying in woven trays. Walk next beside centuries-old Emin Minaret, the highest Islamic tower of China, and appreciate its detailed brickwork pattern and the bird’s eye view of the Turpan plain.
Turn west of Xinjiang, and Kashgar welcomes you to a land of action and color. Here, the Sunday livestock market leaks into dusty roads: camels, yaks, and sheep are mixed along with herders bargaining in Uyghur and Mandarin. The smells of roasted lamb skewers and fresh nan bread fill the air as you are tempted to find a seat in the striped awning shade. Not far away, blue domes of the Id Kah Mosque rise into a wide blue sky that seems to go on and on. Arrive during dusk and you will feel a peaceful devotion which can be both humbling and heartwarming.
Other than trade and religion, the short drive transports you to Karakul Lake, surrounded by white peaks of the Pamir Mountains. Mirror-clean cobalt waters reflect on sky and mountain tops to invite hikers to walk the shoreline in the backdrop of infinite horizons. Homestay yurts are available to spend the night in kind Kyrgyz families, with woolen interiors, crackling stoves and twinkling lamps. As the air thickens with diamond-laced skies you will lift sweet tea-cups and exchange tales in front of an open pot of mante (steamed dumplings).
Along the way back to civilization, you’ll travel through the Flaming Mountains, their red peaks aglow at sun set. These red slopes were evoked when scenes of the ancient “Journey to the West” classic were scoured, and looking from the red-tinted peak, you’ll grasp why ancient traders paused here to marvel at nature’s dramatic paintbrush.
Every halt along the Silk Road of China is vibrating with millenniums of exchange of goods, ideologies and skills. Along the way you can explore a fortress town, roam wind-swept dunes and even haggle a bargain in a lively marketplace as you get a sense of the spirit of the adventurers, past silk, spices and dreams, across these very sands. This is not just a holiday; it is an enabling way of linking you into lasting cultures and sceneries that anchor beyond time. Put on your boots and warm up your camera and make your own tale be a part of the larger chronicle of the Silk Road.
