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surroundings are rich in treasures from the Silk Route, including the ancient cities of Jiaohe and Gaochang, the Bezeklik Grottoes, the Tombs of Astana, the T Karez Irrigation Channels and the Emin Minaret. Full sightseeing is included, and also a local dance performance in the evening. DAY 11 - Sightseeing continues in the morning, including the dramatic Flaming Mountains, followed by a drive north to Urumqi, the provincial capital. Here you will visit the outstanding regional museum, devoted both to the Silk Route history and to Xinjiang's minority groups ideal preparation for your stay in Kashgar amongst the Uighurs, Kazaks, Tajiks and Uzbecks, who outnumber the Han Chinese in this ethnic melting pot. Transfer to Urumqi Airport for the flight to Kashgar for a two night stay. DAY 12 - Full day included excursion along the fabulous Karakoram Highway as far as beautiful Karakuli Lake, close to the Pakistan border and the end of the Chinese portion of the romantic Silk Route. The scenery is stunning as you climb into the Pamirs, passing through the Ghez River Canyon, with a backdrop of mighty snow-capped peaks. Visit local herdsman's houses at Karakuli Lake before returning to Kashgar for a special evening of Uighur music and song. DAY 13 - Marco Polo described Kashgar as having "fruitful soil, cotton a-plenty, and inhabitants who live by trade". The description is equally valid today, particularly every Sunday when the population swells by up to 100,000 for the largest weekly market in the world. Hundreds of donkey carts (still the normal mode of transport), pedestrians and animals flood into town for a day's intense bargaining. This ritual has continued for centuries, and captures perfectly the ethos of the Silk Route a dazzling experience for any visitor. Lunch will be taken in an Uighur household, and, in addition to the market, sightseeing will include the old town, and the Id Kah Mosque, for Kashgar is predominantly a Muslim town. Late evening return flight to Urumqi for an overnight stay. DAY 14 - Morning flight to Beijing. Afternoon free. DAY 15 - Morning transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. As you will be flying westwards your arrival is later the same day.
THE STORY OF THE SILK ROUTE This great East-West trade route was first travelled by General Zhang Qian in the second century BC. An early trade in silk soon developed, with great caravans of merchants, goods and animals pitting themselves for months against waterless deserts and mountain passes to link Imperial China with Imperial Rome, where silk became all the rage in Roman society. The starting point was Xian, then capital of China. The route then worked its way to the western extremities of the Great Wall at Dunhuang, through the customs point and outer fortifications at Jade Gate Pass, and along the foothills of the Heavenly Mountains, thereby avoiding the fierce Taklamakan Desert to the south. Then came the rich and fertile oasis towns of Turpan and Kashgar, before the route diverged either towards Central Asia or south across the high Pamirs into present day Pakistan. Very few undertook the whole journey. The Chinese would usually take the goods as far as the great trading posts of Dunhuang or Kashgar, then sell them on to Central Asian middlemen to take to Persia or Greece. Silk was by no means the only commodity. Gold and textiles were brought to the East, and ceramics, furs and cinnamon travelled to the Mediterranean. The Silk Route was also a channel for the spread of religion and art. First Buddhism, then Islam came to China this way, and monks, pilgrims and teachers moved to and fro. The Silk Route flourished for more than 1,000 years. However, by the time Marco Polo came to Xian in the 12th century, it was falling into disuse as the sea routes developed, and Persia evolved its own silk industry.
ADD-ON
Hong Kong
4 nights from only £499
If you wish to extend your holiday to China by visiting Hong Kong, please see page 25 for details.
ADD-ON
Beijing to Hong Kong by train
5 nights from only £599
If you wish to extend your holiday to China by visiting Hong Kong, please see page 25 for details.
To view dates & prices click here To book click here
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