People

One hoof on the road (16/07/07)

"Every journey needs a start and mine begins in Sinkiang (Xinjiang), NW China. Sinkiang is the epitome of Silk Road travel rolled into one; sweeping sand dunes, forgotten desert cities, Buddhist grottoes, a very foreign land. 

"The province is the largest in China and sits North of Tibet on the map. It is home to the second largest sand dune desert in the world - the Taklamakan, the local language (Uyghur) is similar to Turkish and the place feels about as Chinese as Skegness.

Stephen McCutcheon on the road

"Much of Sinkiang is dominated by the Taklamakan desert and much of its people reside in the oases that dot its edge. Kashgar is a typical central Asian city, sitting on a sort of crossroads, half in China and half out. Like much of Sinkiang, much about the city feels more central Asian than Chinese and it’s only today’s China that includes it fully within her borders.

"There was never one Silk Road, but many trade routes that connected China with the West. Beginning from China, goods were funneled out of the country and into the heart of the colossal Taklamakan desert in Sinkiang. 

"From there, caravans made a choice to journey north or south around it, yet almost always finished in Kashgar on the far side. From Kashgar, goods could then be exchanged with more merchants heading along a number of byways to India, Persia and on to Turkey and Rome."

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