TRAVEL JOURNAL

MY JOURNEY ON THE SILK ROAD

Take a journey across Asia and discover the secrets and wonders of the greatest trade route of ancient times.

XI'AN
A Cosmopolitan Capital

The Silk Road begins here in massive Xi'an, capital of China's Tang Empire. It was the largest city in the world around AD 750. This metropolis is home to nearly a million people, and another million live just outside the imposing walls. Imperial buildings, temples and markets line the streets, and the city buzzes with activity. Foreign merchants, ambassadors, scholars and musicians flock to this urban center, stocking the markets with exotic goods and filling the streets with sights and sounds from distant lands.

TURFAN
A Thriving Oasis

After months spent baking under the blazing sun, the caravan has reached Turfan. At last, here is a lush oasis offering refuge from the harsh Taklimakan Desert of Central Asia. Ingenious irrigation systems bring cool water from nearby mountains, offering you and your thirsty camels a refreshing drink. More important, the water allows farmers here to grow an incredible array of fruits and vegetables. What's not eaten by residents or hungry travelers will be traded along the Silk Road, reaching kitchens thousands of miles away.

SAMARKAND
City of Merchants

As the caravan approaches the fabled city of Samarkand, the gates swing open. Are you seeking the finest in silk brocade? A sable coat, a packet of fragrant musk or a smooth roll of cream-colored paper? Whatever you desire, chances are a Sogdian merchant from Samarkand can deliver it. These shrewd traders have built up a fortune buying and selling in distant countries. The Sogdians are ambitious go-betweens, controlling a network of commerce that extends to India, China and Persia - and the heart of their trading empire is here, deep in Central Asia.

BAGHDAD
The Scholarly City

The journey along the Silk Road has taken you thousands of miles form the imperial city of Xi'an, China. At last, here is its western rival: Baghdad, capital of the Islamic world. Founded in 762, this elegant metropolis is known as the City of Peace. Its gleaming palaces and fragrant gardens look down on Iraq's Tigris River; foreign goods arrive daily by ship as well as by camel caravan. An illustrious family of Islamic rulers holds court here. Under their patronage, Baghdad has blossomed into a remarkable center of learning - a meeting place for scholars, scientists and philosophers and a storehouse for knowledge from many lands.

SEA ROUTES
Trading by Sea

While caravan merchants of the Silk Road risked their worldly assets transporting goods over mountains and deserts, other traders placed their bets on the sea. To reach China, ships sailing form Baghdad had to travel, which could take as long as a year. Despite the peril of pirate attacks and shattering storms, sea trade expanded and eventually overshadowed the caravan trade.