The Silk Road

Day 1
Depart London.

Day 2
There will be a welcome briefing this evening with a Beijing Duck dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3
We leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, a 3-4 hour journey to the north of the city. We go to the less visited section at Jinshanling where the Wall is an impressive sight, snaking off across mountains and valleys into the distance. This section of Great Wall is one of the few to retain the original features of the Ming dynasty Great Wall and is worth the extra travelling time to reach it. There are some steep steps to navigate and clients who suffer from vertigo may find it difficult. There is the option of a trip to the opera one evening while in Beijing.

Day 4
Today we will enjoy the sights and sounds of China's capital, taking an early morning walking tour of the cities hutongs (narrow alleys) to see what is left of old Beijing and its traditions. Why not partake in some early morning Tai Chi with the locals with the helping hand of your leader? We also visit Tianamen square, the largest square in the world and able to hold over a million people. The sightseeing will include the Forbidden City with its innumerable courtyards and temples, and the Temple of Heaven complex in the southern part of the city. In the evening we board an overnight train to the ancient city of Xi'an. This train is of a good standard with a dining car and bar. Sleepers are four berth and bedding is provided.

Day 5
Xian is one of China's former capitals, and one of the few cities in China to have retained its city walls, probably because they are so massive that no revolutionary was willing to tackle the huge task of removing them. Today, we will visit the city and the Bell and Drum Plaza at its heart, along with the Great Mosque. The Muslim quarter is a fascinating place to visit, especially in the evening as it comes alive with the bustle of the bazaars and food stalls. It is possible to hire bikes (optional) and cycle on the city walls and appreciate the sheer scale of the walls.

Day 6
Today, we visit the famous mausoleum of Emperor Qin with its staggering display of Terracotta Warriors. His tomb lies covered by a grassy mound amidst green fields. Originally four armies were planned, at each point of the compass, life-size and lifelike. Three have been found and it is assumed the emperor's successors decided enough was enough before the fourth was begun. The first pit excavated had an estimated 6,000 figures in its one army. The third pit has been opened to the public, which contains the 'command post' for the entire operation. This is one of China's great tourist attractions, and some people may find the sheer numbers of visitors rather overpowering. In the evening we will leave Xi'an and board an overnight train to Jiayuguan (approx. 17 hrs). This train is more basic in terms of comfort than the one from Beijing to Xi'an.

Day 7
Upon entering the Hexi Corridor, we travel on a strip of desert surrounded by mountains on both sides. We arrive in the early afternoon at Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), the traditional last outpost on the edge of the ancient Han Chinese Empire. The heavily industrialised modern town stands in stark contrast to the desert scenery.

Day 8
Today's sightseeing will include the Jiayuguan Fort, with 17 m-high towers flanking the main gates which actually marks the end of the Great Wall. We also visit the Hanging Wall (another section of the Great Wall).

Day 9
Gone is the agricultural heart of China we are now entering the dry and barren West. We board an early morning local bus for a the trip to Dunhuang a city famous for the Mogao Caves (approx. 5 hrs). Duhuang itself is situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, and was at the crossroads of international trade routes as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, but its significance faded with the decline of trade. In the evening we can take a walk through the open-air night market, with many kinds of food available from the small street restaurants. Now, however, it is returning to its previous importance, as just outside the town is the oldest Buddhist shrine in China and the greatest collection of Buddhist art in the world.

Day 10
Today we visit the Mogao caves, also called the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. Some 500 of the caves, carved out of steep sandstone cliffs, have been studied and catalogued. They are supposidly able to fill up to 25 kms of gallery space with these works of art. The caves are still the subject of ongoing archaeological work and are a designated UNESCO world heritage site. The earliest paintings date from the fourth century AD, the most recent from about a millennium later: the caves were unknown to the west until the beginning of this century, although they were still a place of pilgrimage for oasis people. As well as the innumerable statues and paintings of Buddha, the vivid and colourful cave paintings are remarkable as a thousand-year record of life on the Silk Road. Merchants and pilgrims commissioned paintings and statues in the hope that this would secure them a safe crossing of the desert. Unfortunately, many of the finest works, including the oldest printed book in existence, were removed early this century by British and other European adventurers, and now languish in various museums (though the British Museum has recently brought out a lot of central Asian antiquities from its vaults, some of which have never been publicly displayed before).

Day 11
This morning we take an early morning camel ride into the desert and explore the giant sand dunes for sunrise and we visit the curiously situated Crescent Lake. This evening we drive to Liuyuan and board our overnight train to Turpan (approx. 12 hrs). This train is also more basic in terms of comfort.

Day 12
After arriving in Daheyan, we transfer by road for 1 hour to the delightful oasis town of Turpan. Turpan is the lowest point in China and second lowest land on Earth (after the Dead Sea) at 154 metres below sea level. Turpan is one of the more remarkable of the Silk Road oases, its name having cropped up for millennia in ancient Persian and Central Asian texts. The heat can be oppressive in summer, but Turpan is remarkably fertile when compared with the surrounding desert, and for this reason it was always one of the most important settlements. Despite the extreme weather experienced here, stifling heat in the summer and minus temperatures in the winter, it is a pleasant place to visit in the summer due to the walkways and paths being covered with vine trellises which transform the streets into charming green tunnels. Historically, more interesting than the town of Turpan is the remarkable collection of abandoned cities to be found in the desert just beyond the oasis. We will visit the best-preserved of these, the impressive ancient city of Jiaohe. The entire fringe of the Taklamakan Desert is dotted with ruins, plundered by archaeologists earlier this century but then totally ignored until the last few years, when a few visitors have started to trickle in. We also visit a handsome brick built minaret in the Turpan mosque, at 44 metres (144 ft) it is the tallest minaret in China. A display of Uighur dancing can sometimes be arranged in the evening.

Day 13
Today we drive 45 Kilometres to the southeast of Turfan to the ruins of Gaochang City, built as a garrison town in the first century B.C., then the political and cultural centre of China's northwest for 1,500 years from the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Even after 2,000 years, the weather-ravaged city still displays its past glory; even though the walls are incomplete, the former magnificent outline still remains. Around 500 tombs have been excavated in the area and the mummies on display of officials compare in quality with those found in Egypt as the dry desert has preserved the bodies from rotting and they are mostly intact. The best and most well known is that of a famous Gaochang General preserved with beard, hair and clothes. Probably the most famous of the abandoned cities is the Buddhist complex at Bezeklik, an amazing collection of caves and brick temples, once profusely decorated with paintings, plundered in the early part of this century, but with some still remaining. The site is very attractive, in a canyon beyond the 'Flaming Mountains', a remarkable range of eroded hills that glow red and orange in the changing light. We return to Turpan and visit what is referred to as the 'underground Great Wall' or the third ancient wonder of China, this is a series of irrigation systems (called Qarat or locally 'karez') developed over 2000 years ago from the glacial water from the mountains to the North and West. There are similar systems in Iran and the Sahara but these ones are the most complete. Large stretches of land are still irrigated by the karez today, at its peak however the system exceeded 5000km. Many of the karez have dried up and with the recent demand for more water and an expanding population it is estimated that the system will be defunct in the next 25 years.

Day 14
The snow peaks of the Tien Shan mountain range are often visible to the north as we board our public bus to Urumqui the capital of Xinjiang Autonomous Region (approx. 2.5 hrs), from where we transfer to Heavenly Lake and our Kazakh yurts. These are traditional round felt tents, which are spacious, colourful and whilst comfortable are quite basic. The Kazakh nomads still live in them when not hosting guests and the camp can at times be quite scruffy and cluttered. Our camp offers us a glimpse into what life was like on the Silk Road in times gone by and is still like for a few remaining nomads.

Day 15
We return to Urumui (approx. 2.5 hrs) which houses the regional museum. The 'Loulan Beauty', one of the oldest mummies in the world, is displayed here. The dry arid desert air created the mummification of this 35-40 year old woman that used to live nearby approximately 4,000 years ago; the process took place completely by accident. The preservation of the mummy is remarkable especially since no organs were removed. This mummy and the others housed here are different from those in Egypt, which were not preserved by the natural environment and involved a complicated embalming process.

Day 16
We board our train and cross the Taklimakan Desert (the name means 'if you go in you never come out') to Kashgar (approx. 20 hrs), also known as Kashi, the 'crown jewel' of the Silk Road, at the end of the spectacular Karakoram Highway, the city is still an important trading centre. East of Kashgar, the Silk Road splits into its northern and southern arms, going either side of the dreaded Taklimakan Desert desert. Genghis Khan occupied the city in 1219, and Marco Polo was reputedly a visitor here in 1265. With the downfall of the Mongols, the town was incorporated into Tamerlane's empire before entering another period of instability, this time lasting 350 years. Out of the windows bare mountains, sometimes in an amazing variety of colours can be seen, while green fertile strips of land lie between the desert and mountain and vary in size, with the occasional shallow lake. A long, but truly extraordinary train journey passing by genuinly spectacular scenery.

Day 17
Kashgar has been the hub of activity in the Western Xinjiang province of China for over 2000 years. It was a major centre along the old Silk Road and was crucial to British politics during the Great Game. In fact, the remains of the famous British Consulate are still situated behind the modern Chinibagh Hotel. Although recent politics have influenced the development of this provincial city, in many ways life has not changed for the local Uighur ethnic majority. The streets are bustling with traders of hats, cloth and silks, leather goods, knives, musical instruments, jade and, of course, carpets. Many Uighur women are still seen with their heads completely covered by dull brown scarves. Kashgar is a truly captivating city. Its Islamic heritage is evident in the 15th century Id Kah Mosque and the elegant 17th century Abakh Hoja Tomb, with four minarets and a tiled dome, which we visit along with the (fast-disappearing) old town. The recent introduction of night street markets provides the perfect environment to discover the city and its culinary delights by night.

Day 18
The colourful Sunday bazaar sees the town come alive as merchants from near and far bring in their wares. It is a photographer's dream with the endless stream of fascinating faces and varied activities taking place. The streets are bustling with traders of hats, cloth and silks, leather goods, knives, musical instruments, jade and, of course, carpets. Kashgar's famous Sunday animal market is an open-air affair just outside the city, to which hundreds of people come from the surrounding villages to buy and sell their animals, meet their friends, gossip and eat and is also worth visiting.

Day 19
After breakfast its time to head back East as we make our way back to Beijing. We fly to Beijing via Urumqui where the rest of the day is free for some last minute sightseeing or shopping.

Day 20
Fly to London.