Tag Archives: 丝绸之路，丝路
The Jiāyùguān Pass (嘉峪关) Posted by Stephen on Dec 10, 2011
While traveling through Gansu Province, we came across the Jiayu Pass or 嘉峪关 (Jiāyùguān) –the largest and most intact section of the western Great Wall of China. The pass runs through central Gansu acting as a corridor for people traveling between Dunhuang and Lanzhou and marks the frontier of ancient Han culture in premodern times…
Kashgar (喀什) Posted by Stephen on Nov 29, 2011
Located roughly 250 km from the borders of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, Kashgar or 喀什 (Kāshí) is a border city of approximately million people located in western Xinjiang Province. The surrounding countryside is almost all desert, with average temperatures sea-sawing between extremely frigid colds and scorching heat (sometimes both happening within 24 hours). It is…
The Taklamakan Desert (塔克拉玛干沙漠) Posted by Stephen on Nov 27, 2011
The Taklamakan Desert or 塔克拉玛干沙漠 (Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò), is the world’s 17th largest desert (and one of the largest sandy deserts), running north-south throughout western Xinjiang, Mongolia and even parts of Russia and Afghanistan. It is bordered by the KunLun mountains to the south and the Tianshan (later post) to the north. Taklamakan is a cold desert, elevated more than…
Dunhuang (敦煌) Posted by Stephen on Oct 31, 2011
In the high desert plains of northern China, water dictates development. Nowhere can this be better illustrated than in Dunhuang or 敦煌 (Dūn huáng), one of the largest oasis-cities in Gansu Province or 甘肃 (Gān sù). Dunhuang roughly translates as “blazing beacon” in Chinese, a moniker it bestowed upon it as the terminus of the…
Xià hé (夏河) Posted by Stephen on Oct 21, 2011
After waking up in a sand-filled bed, dehydrated and sunburnt, I figured my time spent in Dunhuang was at an end. I was continuing on my Silk Road trip to Xian and still had nearly the entire length (about 1500km) of Gansu province (甘肃) left to traverse. A series of buses and a long train…
Xi’an (西安) Posted by Stephen on Oct 18, 2011
西安 (xī ān) is a one of China’s oldest cities and has been a cultural and historical landmark throughout China’s history. At various times, this walled city of Shanxi Province or 陕西 (Shǎnxī) functioned as the capital city of China, and the home of the first imperial families. For millennium all roads have led to…
The Silk Road, Pt. 2: Kashgar Gallery (喀什画廊) Posted by Stephen on Aug 10, 2010
Check out my gallery of Kashgar photos taken along the Silk Road below: