a trip along the silk road - china

The early trade in silk and other exotic goods was carried on against incredible odds; merchants led their great camel caravans over some of the most inhospitable territory on the face of the earth - searing, waterless deserts and snow-bound mountain passes. Beginning at the magnificent ancient city of Chang'an (Xi'an), the route took traders westward along th Hexi Corridor to the giant barrier of the Great Wall, then either north or south of the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar before continuing on to India, to Iran, or to the great cities of the Middle East. The Silk Road has always been a dream destination for me. It is not only the weight of history that makes the Silk Road intriguing, but also the incredible diversity of scenery and ethnic people along the way.  Cities that I've covered in the Chinese section of the Silk Road :

Shaanxi Province Xi'an

Gansu Province Lanzhou

Hexi Corridor Jiayuguan Jiuquan Dunhuang Liuyuan

Xinjiang Turpan Urumqi

The highlight of the trip was our visit to Mogao Caves in Dunhuang.

The Mogao Caves, which honeycomb the cliff-face of the Mingsha Hills, are the world's richest treasure-trove of Buddhist manuscripts, wall paintings and statuary. Hewn over a millennium spanning nine dynasties, from the fourth to the 14th centuries, they mark the height of Buddhist art.   History relates that in 336, a monk called Lie Zun came upon the cliff and had a vision of a thousand golden rays of light shining upon him like as many Buddhas. The monk asked a pilgrim to have one of the smaller caves painted and consecrated as a shrine to ensure his own safe journey. Other pilgrims and travellers followed, and for the next thousand years temples and shrines were hewn out of the cliff, painted and decorated by the pious or fearful to guarantee the success and safety of their journeys. Lie Zun ended up founding, 15 centuries later, 'a great art gallery in the desert'.    Links International Dunhuang Project    Silk Road Silk Road Foundation Dunhuang Art : Through the eyes of Duan Wenjie

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