Silk Road 2

2) The Silk Road has demonstrated a lasting charm . It has rich historic sites, cultural relics, beautiful scenery and colorful folklore. The camel is a major means of transportation.

The Chinese section boasts numerous sites and cultural relics, which include the terracotta army of China’s first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Famen Temple, whichkeeps bone fragments of Buddha, Mogao and Maijishan Grottoes, Jiayu Pass of the Great Wall, the signal towers from the Han Dynasty, famous Ta’er Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism and Gaochang , a strategic town on the Silk Road.

Scenery along the route is magnificent-the Bird Island of Qinghai Lake, Swan Nature Reserve in the Bayanbulak Grassland, Heavenly Lake in the Tianshan Mountains, Salt Lake of Qinghai, wind corroded terrain of Lopnur, Turpan’s Flaming Mountain, the Ghost City of Karamay and many others.

Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang along the route of the Silk Road are inhabited by many Chinese ethnic groups. They differ in background, cultural tradition, religion and way of life. But they are all known for their hospitality and gift for singing and dancing.