Silkroad adventure

Introduction: Imagine long caravan lines stretching across vast sand dunes and weary travelers relaxing in the shade of a desert oasis. The Silk Road evokes these types of exotic images. It was a route that lead tradesmen and monks, spreading their foreign goods,languages, inventions and beliefs, through mountains, deserts and seas from Europe to Asia. Oasis settlements were incredibly important in the functioning of this road ad they provided restingspots for travelers seeking food, water, shelter, and rest. This commercial system not only aided the spread of goods, and therefore the enrichment ofcountries, but also enabled people's religious beliefs (Buddhism, Islam,Christianity) and theories to become more widely known. This meant moretolerance among warring nations who often fought without understanding theiropponents. Also, the circulation of inventions, such as the compass andgunpowder pushed science forward tremendously.
Today, the Silk Road is no longer the important commercial route it once was, but it still providestravelers with a stunning desert landscape that seems to change continuously,as well as with an abundance of religious treasures. Oasis towns like Dunhuang,Turpan, and Urumqibecame centers of trade for spices, silk, and other fineries. Starting in Urumqi, we move on to the ancient ruins of Turpan,where we can begin to imagine the past glory of these oasis outposts.   From Turpan we travel on to Dunhuang,the terminus of our journey, where we visit the Mogao Grottoes, one of the richest collections of ancient Buddhist murals and statues in China.