The essential guide to backpacking China’s Silk Road – Lonely Planet
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The Overhanging Great Wall at Jiayuguan. Image by Megan Eaves / Lonely Planet
Read The essential guide to backpacking China’s Silk Road by Lonely Planet
China’s Silk Road is an epic journey through desert dunes to the end of the Great Wall, a length of pink mud that ends abruptly in the magnificent beige towers of the Jiayuguan fort. This is not a voyage that many travellers experience; it’s often and understandably overlooked in favour of more accessible and famous destinations in China.
But for adventurous travellers looking for something truly different, backpacking the Chinese Silk Road reaps glorious rewards: sand-sledding down a magical unmoving sand dune, a camel ride around an oasis, a trek up the end of the Great Wall and sipping wine under grape trellises are just a few of the possibilities. So don a sand-proof rucksack and check out our guide to backpacking the Silk Road through China.
The route
Historically, the Silk Road was not one but many routes that connected east and south Asia to Mediterranean Europe, so named because the largest commodity traded down the route was sought-after Chinese silk. The route traditionally started in Xi’an (then known as Chang’an) and continued northwest through modern-day Gansu and Xinjiang provinces before reaching Central Asia.
Several historical splits in the road mean that you have options when deciding your route. By far, the most traversed portion of the route is from Xi’an to Lanzhou and Jiayuguan in Gansu. From here, you can choose to head northwest to Urumqi in Xinjiang, where fascinating Uyghur culture, China’s wine country, and the soaring peaks of the Tian Shan mountains await. Alternately, the southern route heads through the fiery desert of Gansu, with its huge dunes and ancient Buddhist caves, ending in the distinctly Central Asian city of Kashgar, renowned for its bustling Sunday livestock market. Adventurous travellers and those with extra time could potentially explore both routes by heading southward from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang in Gansu, then upwards to Urumqi and finally south again to end in Kashgar.
Don’t-miss sights
Jiayuguan Fort. The ancient Great Wall ends in this towering mud fortress, which rises out of the desert like a mirage. Just a few kilometres northwest of Jiayuguan town, the fort boasts a few touristy activities like archery and camel rides, but the real reason to come is for the sweeping views from its ramparts.
Overhanging Great Wall. Named because it looks like a dragon hanging over a cliffside, this portion of the Great Wall is one of the most visually stunning: a mud maze that zigzags its way up a stark desert mountain. The wall is open for climbing and views from the top are incredible.
Mingsha Dune. To call this a single dune would be an understatement. On the outskirts of Dunhuang, Minghsha is the first in a series of thousands of dunes that make up the Taklamakan Desert. Mingsha Dune, though, is legendary for having never covered the oasis below, despite thousands of years of sand erosion. Adventurous types can climb the dune for great vistas of yet more dunes – and then sand-sled back to the bottom.
Flaming Mountains and Mogao Caves. These eerie red and orange sandstone hills feature eroded gullies that, at certain times of day (like sunset) look like they’re on fire. Tours from Dunhuang often also take in the Mogao Caves, a series of grottoes containing an incredible wealth of Buddhist art and murals.
Turpan Grape Valley. China may not be known for its quality winemaking just yet, but Turpan – an oasis town – is home to one of the oldest and most prolific wine-making regions in the country. No matter the quality of the wine (some is actually quite quaffable), sipping a fresh glass of white under grape trellises as a brook babbles nearby is great way to beat the desert heat.
Jiaohe ruins. This 2300-year-old archaeological site contains the ruins of an ancient capital that was destroyed by Mongol invaders around the 13th century. What remains today is an elaborate network of structures in various states of decay, connected by a maze of streets.
Tian Chi Lake. Easily one of the most scenic lakes in China, Tian Chi (or ‘heavenly’) Lake sits in the cradle of the Tian Shan mountains underneath the looming 5445m gaze of Bogda Peak. A popular destination with domestic tourists, the lake’s serenity is sadly hampered by honking boat horns and tramping visitors, but if you can find a spot of solitude, the vistas are incredible. It’s also possible to camp or stay in a yurt with a local Kazakh family – highly recommended for delivering a slice of the water and surrounding forest to yourself.
Kashgar Sunday market. One of the largest and liveliest markets in all of Asia, Kashgar’s bazaar is open every day but is especially bustling on Sundays, when the livestock market adds cattle, horses, sheep and goats to the mix.
Getting around
China’s northwest is historically one of its least connected regions. The Jiayu pass, where an impressive fort was built in the 1370s, marks the end of the Great Wall and the border of ancient China.
The region spreads over 2400km, most of which is separated by vast tracts of desert. Bus rides can be long, bumpy and sometimes dusty; in some cases, roads are still being built or renovated for modern traffic. Regular flights connect most of the main airports in the region: Xi’an, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Urumqi and Kashgar all have commercial airports, and tickets are often discounted.
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