“The story of the Silk Road started way back in the 13th Century when the Mongols ruled much of Asia, including Persia and China. Europeans during that time traveled the Silk Road many times, exchanging ideas and goods. The Silk Road is the greatest network of road ever to exist in the world. Extending 5,000 miles over land and sea, the Silk Road provided the greatest spread of ideas and trade throughout the world. Traditions, religions, foods, ideas, and much more traveled throughout the routes daily changing the life’s of everyone who came in contact with it.” (WSU)
“Travel along The Silk Road from Istanbul to Hongkong” provides some interesting insights and images from a journey in July – September, 2000
(A fascinating article by Uncornered Market)
We unintentionally followed the Silk Road in reverse order – from somewhere near its western end in Tbilisi, Georgia to its eastern terminus in Xi’an, China. Although our first taste of UNESCO Silk Road sites occurred in Turkmenistan (Merv), Uzbekistan is where the Silk Road unexpectedly reaches a sophisticated tourist marketing level. This scavenger hunt is intended to help you get under the surface of Uzbekistan’s polished Silk Road tourist veneer which you’ll find in Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand. We’ve also thrown in Nukus and Tashkent as a bonus.
On the Modern Silk Road – Travelling An Ancient Trade Route
by Susan Boyoung:
“Born in South Korea and raised in America, I embody Eastern roots with Western views. Traveling through China fulfilled part of my personal story, for in our heritage lies a discovery that may answer some of our precious questions. With a group of students from The Beijing Center, I traversed part of the 1,423 mile ancient Silk Road exploring the land, people, and places of my root culture. We began the journey in Xi’an, where excavations of entire armies of full size terracotta warriors and horses stand in battle formations. The realistic faces were carved to reflect individual facial structure and expression of each warrior. Some were pale, some tanned, and some the color of red mud, terracotta. Those were real faces of our ancestors. In the city of Xi’an, a bustling commercial hub, modern day people mirrored the ancient soldiers’ stoic expressionless faces, pacing like soldiers as they filed to work each day. Leaving this eastern metropolis behind, we clambered back onto the bus and headed west to Dunhuang, at the center of two major trade routes along the Silk Road. Here ruins of 1,000 Buddhas, carved into the cliffs and cave grottoes, fill the air with an ancient sense of wisdom.” (more)
Further resources can also be found at the Silk Road Society (UK) and by clicking the banners below.