An Adventurous Journey along the Silk Road

China
By Theresa Yiju Lin

My fantasy about the journey to the heart of Asia, Silk Road, reached its peak after reading the story written by global trekker Dominika Baran. She backpacked in the summer of 1997, began from Turkey, she passed by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and arrived at China. She later went to Taiwan and flew home to the United States.

At a young age, I learned about the Chinese history and geography so by the time I read the book, I don’t know how to show my respect for her determination and courage for completing the trip. Following Marco Polo’s footsteps, Dominika made her own trip to explore the East. Thinking of the difficulties she overcame on her trip, I’m speechless!

The desire of overcoming the difficulties of natural environment and built the Silk Road was for political and military purposes. The merchants used the Silk Road for trading. The most popular goods were the silk from China, and this was the reason that the German trader named it Silk Road. At certain period of time, the traders presented the same weight of gold to exchange silk. Trading was also the inspiration of discovery of the sea route to connect the East and the West.

The Silk Road has become a populr tourist attraction in recent years

The renowned trade route Silk Road is located in the northwest of China crossing the Gobi Desert. As early as the 2^nd century B.C., it served as not only an important business function but also significant cultural and social connections. The existence of the Silk Road allowed the transmission of knowledge and ideas. For about 2,000 years, the Silk Road has been the information superhighway between the East and the West.

The first traveler of the Silk Road was Chinese Zhang Qian. He went on a diplomatic mission to the West in Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 220). He was captured and imprison by the Mongols (today’s Hungarian and Finnish) for ten years, but he managed to escape and made a trip all the way to Egypt and came back to China.

Art Pieces From Qingshihuang Di’s Tomb

After China decided to open its gate to the rest of the world, tourists emerge to discover the ancient legendary country. Tourism is one of the most valuable assets in China today. The completion of the railroad system between Langzhou and Urumuchi in 1990 accelerates the prosperity of Silk Road’s tourism.

Silk Road penetrates the four provinces in China. They are Gansu, Qinghai, Xingjiang and Sangxi. Options to explore the ancient cities along the Silk Road depend on the transportation methods and routes. As an independent traveler, you can plan your own route and decide the time you want to spend in each city.

The surrounding providences provide many tourist interests to keep visitors entertained. The key to have a pleasant tour at the Silk Road, you must bring no assumptions, and feel free to immense yourself in the simplicity.

People who live along the Silk Road retain a simple and colorful lifestyle. Local residents respect the “Land of Death,” the land is surrounded by Taklimakan Desert and some of the highest mountains in the world. They are Himalaya, Karakorum and Kunlun ranges; most of the mountains are over 5,000 meters in altitude. Main attraction, Gansu Corridor, is a relatively fertile entry in the east of Silk Road. It is at the base of Qilan Mountains that separates the great Mongolian Plateau and the Gobi Desert from Tibetan High Plateau.

Dunhuang is one of the most famous locations in China

Dominika chose to travel from the West to the East, but other experienced Silk Road travelers recommend planning the trip begins from East to the West, starting at Langzhou, crossing the Gobi Desert and ending the trip in Urumchi. Many people choose to spend extra time in Dunhuang so be sure to plan enough time for the trip. You never know when you will stop for certain scenarios that draw your attentions. The beauty of the Silk Road lies on the silence of the land while travelers are following the steps of the first explorer of Silk Road.

A standard two-week trip should give travelers a rough outlook of the Silk Road, but always plan extra time for the unexpected events. For instance, the Terracotta Warriors Museum is in Xian, and you might want to spend more time in the area to explore the culture. The Sunday market in Kashgar extends the Silk Road spirit with people from different countries and selling goods from spice and wool to livestock and silver knives.

Some people travel to Silk Road to find the roots of many aspects of the history. Playing a unique role in international trade and foreign policy, Silk Road is one of the very first places worldwide where cultural conglomeration occurred. Another new function of the Silk Road is film making. Film is a new growing industry in China. The story of Silk Road is not yet over.

Read more stories about the Silk Road, go to this website, and you can also read more about trip ideas here.