Visiting the Silk Road – Past, Present, and Future

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To learn more about tours and packages, please email beijing@countryholidays.com.cn
or call 8587 9263.

The Silk Road was the most important trade route from China to Europe in ancient times. It started from Xi’an and extended west into Central Asia and Europe. Large quantities of silk were traded and hence, this route became known as the Silk Road.

I first traveled along the Silk Road in 1994. Back then, the province of Xinjiang – the western-most province of China – was an unknown and mysterious place.

Sand and Space
One of the great joys of traveling along the Silk Road is the space. The landscape is dominated by blue skies, the Taklamakan Desert and Tianshan Mountains. Rolling sand dunes and beautiful sunsets break the monotony of long drives. 

The Crescent Moon Lake is a natural wonder in the middle of the desert. Although surrounded by sand dunes, its waters never evaporate. It was quiet and magical. Fast forward 16 years, screaming tourists hurtle down the dunes on sleds. Vendors peddle souvenirs. Camels gently walking on the sand carry tourists, not nomads. Get off the main path and the magic returns.

Kashgar
Of all the cities along the Silk Road, Kashgar evokes the most interest. In ancient times, the city was a cultural and commercial intersection between East and West. Its international border meant a mix of ethnic groups, the largest group being the Uygurs, not the Chinese.

Kashgar’s Old Town is charming with mud-brick houses. Here, home and work life mix. Pots and pans are washed on the patio, tools are cast outside the living room and spices, bread are sold outside the main door. It was, and still is, a photographer’s delight. 

Besides the Old Town, the life and soul of Kashgar is the Sunday Market. In ancient times, it was where all commodities – textiles, food and livestock, silk, gold – were traded. When I first visited, goods and livestock were traded outdoors. The finest silk was sold besides goats. Food was cooked and served behind garbage dumps. Friendly chatter, heated bargaining, and restless animals filled the air. I loved the energy!

Today, the sale of goods and food has moved to a building separate from livestock. Vendors sell their wares in stalls. The livestock section is still outside. Animals are brought in by the truckloads Sunday mornings and lined-up for sale. The joy of watching disobedient animals taunt their sellers is still there. Hopefully, this stays …

The Future
Xinjiang is still an exotic part of China, which has been spared the deluge of mass tourism. However, the authorities have identified it as a province to focus on for economic development. Kashgar’s Old Town will be demolished to make way for sky rises and I see the livestock market being moved to buildings where sheep and goats are delivered on conveyor-belts. See the Silk Road, before it disappears completely.

To learn more about Country Holidays' tours and packages, such as this one, please email beijing@countryholidays.com.cn, call 8587 9263, or log onto www.countryholidays.com.cn.

Written by: Sharon Heng
Photos: Courtesy of Country Holidays