20 Days Silk Road Culture Tour

Today's Activities

Take the morning flight to Kashgar. Discover the magnificent Id Kah Mosque. It's the largest of its kind in Xinjiang and also the center for the Islamic activities of the entire Xinjiang region. On special days or festivals, you can find different kinds of performances of singing and dancing by professional Uygur actors in shining Uygur costumes. Next stop is the Abakh Hoja Tomb, which features ancient Islamic building design.

At Sunday Bazzar you'll be excited by the novel local products and animated form of stock-exchange that still keeps flourishing along Silk Road. Afterwards, Old Town of Kashgar will stretch itself like a scroll of panorama of Kashgar folklore before you.

Visit the Emin Pagoda, an elegant and circular Muslim pagoda built in 1778 in honor of a great Turpan general, Emin Khoja, and his great contribution to the unification of China. Then tour Grapes Valley, the delicate green paradise covered with layer upon layer of grapes. It’s most pleasant to taste the sweet Turpan grapes and enjoy local singing and dancing performance.

In addition, an ancient Chinese archaeological site - Jiaohe Ancient Ruins – is waiting for your exploration. It was built with rammed earth and bricks 2300 years ago. Proceed to Karez System. Karez System, the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence, is connected by underground channels, which takes full advantage of the unique region. It is the life source of Turpan.

Go on to visit the Astana Graves, which served mainly as the cemetery of the descendents of Chinese settlers in Goachang in the past. View the wonderful Flaming Mountains from afar.

After the sightseeings, you'll be transferred to the train station for an overnight train to Dunhuang.

Start your Dunhuang Tour with visiting Mogao Grottos, the home to some of the most amazing ancient Buddhist cave art in existence and the glorious World Heritage. The millions of flying Apsaras all over the interior grottos will tell you how far the imagination of the ancient painters can go.

The Mingsha Mountain and Crescene Moon Spring will highlight today's tour. You can take in an incredible view of the green oasis surrounded by an endless desert landscape. It's great fun to look at your reflection at the crystal clear crescent-shape spring and listen to the roaring sound of wind, which is echoed by the interesting mountain. Drive back to the downtown Dunhuang and spend a Dunhuang night at your hotel.

Today is about two extremely important passes on the ancient Silk Road. First let's go visit Yanguan Pass, which was protecting Dunhuang from invasion in ancient times; the pass offers a glimpse of the grandeur of the past.

The Yumenguan Pass served as an important military pass and a vital route on the Silk Road—treasured jade was transported to China through it. Now it's still standing as a landmark nowadays to guide the exploration for deep and wild China. Drive back to the downtown Dunhuang.

Explore more secrets of Dunhuang today. The first stop is the interesting Song dynasty-Immitating Sand City . It's located right in the middle of the Desert about 25km southwest of Dunhuang, a huge movie set made to resemble the Song Dynasty city of Dunhuang. Proceed to visit the over-1,600-year-old White Horse Tower, which was built in memory of the dead horse that once the eminent monk Kumarajiva rid to China to preach Buddhism.

Pay a visit to Dunhuang Museum, which reflects the flourishing social development and cultural exchange between China and the West during the time when Dunhuang was a major center along the Silk Road; offering keen insight to the Silk Road civilization.

Extend the Buddhist art exploration at Thousands Buddha Cave. It's situated to the west of Mogao Caves; the two are closely related, sharing similar architectural structure and painting themes; ranking among the finest sources of Buddhist art in China.

Drive to Jiayuguan after breakfast. En route, visit the Qiaowan Ancient City, where you can find treasured statues made from ivory, human-skin-made drum, and the exhibition of animals and plants specimens from the natural reserve of the extremely dry desert area. Also pay a visit to the Qiaowan Museum next to Qiaowan Ancient City, a museum by highway, displaying specimens of wild animals and plants, dried-up corpse and and over 80 valuable cultural relics,.

Tour Tombs of Jin and Wei Dynasties, which is known as the largest underground painting gallery in the world since the brick walls of the tombs are filled with fresco describing vividly the life of people lived along the Silk Road. Then go appreciate Jiayuguan Pass . It is the most western end of the Great Wall and well preserved with majestic buildings. Its architectural complex is magnificently exquisite. The towers and pavilions enjoys a classic beauty and grandeur with their roofs upturned at the end of the ridges. Overhanging Great Wall is an extended part of the Jiayuguan Pass, winding through the Gobi dessert to a steep mountain. The wall seems to hang over the cliff, hence its name.

Later of the day, take a overnight train to Lanzhou.

Drive to Liujiaxia Reservior, Yongjing County and go past the overwater stone forest by yacht. Get ashore at the dock and Binglingsi Temple Grottoes are in front of you. The grottoes, one of the three biggest in Gansu Province, belong to the oldest caves in China, despite their age, they still contain many well preserved Buddhism statues and murals. Unlike other grottoes, these were carved against the sharp cliffs that look down at the roaring Yellow River. Therefore you will see a complex of human wisdom and natural work. Drive back to Lanzhou in the afternoon.

Drive to Xiahe for visiting Labrang Monastery. Overnight in Xiahe.

Labrang Monastery is home to the largest number of monks outside of Tibet. The white walls and golden roofs of the monastery complex feature a blend of Tibetan and Han architectural styles. The monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a golden stupa, a sutra debate area, and houses nearly 60,000 sutras.

Drive back to Lanzhou in the morning. Visit White Pagoda Hill Park. The 17-storey pagoda, standing on top of the 1,553-meter-high mountain, provides a spectacular overview of the Yellow River, the bridge and other Lanzhou landscape. Then turn to the Five Springs Mountain Park for the amazing 5-mouth spring and the large-scale Buddhist complex.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Xian. Picked up and escorted to the hotel in Xian, and then visit Bell Tower. Built in 1384 A.D, the Bell Tower boasts a history of over 600 years. Even today you can find the Big Iron Bell erecting in the Bell Tower, which was made in Ming Dynasty, 2,500 kilograms in weight. Then stroll at the Ancient City Wall, and you can have a panoramic view of Xi'an City.

Then move to the Great Mosque, which features a great mixed architecture of Chinese and Muslim styles. You may happen to meet with some Muslim followers coming for worship.

Today's Activities

This is the last day of your tour. Free time until transfer to the airport for your next destination. We believe you will love China and keep forever memories about China in your whole life.