<A>The Journey of the Silk Road (part 1)

Introduction

A>The Journey of the Silk Road

11th September-24th September, 2005.



We were 12 ‘overseas Chinese’ who made the journey, starting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Six of us reside in Australia, and the other six are Malaysians. We have all made holiday trips to different parts of China at different times and with different people.



This small group was homogenous in that we were friends, which made consensus on decisions easier. We were also agreed on the principle of “No Moaning, no Whining and No Fussing”, and would good-naturedly remind each other when one of us tended to complain.

We flew Air China just past midnight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, arriving for breakfast at the Chinese restaurant at the International airport. After an hour and a half wait we boarded another Air China flight to Urumqi, where we were met by the national guide, Ray, and the local guide, Cindy. Ray would be accompanying us throughout the journey of the Silk Road, and would also be the local guide in Gansu province. All in all we had 4 English speaking guides, and one National guide. They were all good at what they did.


The route taken
From Urumqi we travelled by comfortable tourist coach, visiting the tourist sites in the region, and on to Turpan. From Turpan we traveled by overnight train to Dunhuang, then by tourist coach to Jiayuguan . Then on another overnight train from Jiayuguan to Lanzhou. From Lanzhou it was tourist coach again to Xiahe, Xining and Tianshui. There was a landslide on the highway out of Tianshui, and we then had to take the day train to Xian instead of traveling by tourist coach. Thirteen days in all from Urumqi to Xian (a journey of more than 3000 kilometers). I was told by our guide that this journey which we made with the aid of modern transportation rail and roads, would have taken the ancients three years.

general impressions

Impressions
These general impressions are what they are…a sweeping general overview only. It does not in any way describe the reality of a great nation, and its peoples. There are many books, brochures, historical and fictional information and stories written about China. One can also look for these on the many websites. Myths and legends add to the colorful panorama.

China has a proud history which goes back to prehistoric times. The Shanxi museum in Xian which was the ancient capital city for 13 dynasties, is a wealth of information. Its people have had to endure wars, natural disasters, quirks of nature, oppression, subversion, and political upheavals, yet there is a resilience that is admirable…a spirit that reminds of a toy I used to play with as a child, which when pushed down refuses to stay down, but bounces back upright. Some of you might remember the ‘pu tau ohng’.



We were asked why we made such a cumbersome journey, enduring long coach rides, sometimes through bumpy desert and village roads, when we could have just flown from city to city. We were all in agreement that the experience was not regretted, and that although the journey is not the usual holiday fare for the fainthearted and those expecting first class accommodation and facilities, it was nevertheless an enjoyable adventure.

One needs to be fit, as there is much walking and climbing, sometimes through desert sands which work your leg and thigh muscles!

Strong bladders and bowels are called for as the long rides through bumpy roads can turn your insides out and weaken muscular controls. This is not a journey for the shy, prim and proper. When you begin a 12 hour journey at 4am through the vast Gobi desert, and tuck into a breakfast box of milk, buns, cold meat, one cucumber and tomatoes and one large banana, you will at some time need to make a stop. This is when the umbrella you were asked to bring along comes into use. Mention must be made that the open spaces were always a better alternative to the ‘civilized’ toilets at scheduled stops on the highway. They are unmentionable.



An interested knowledge of Chinese history, folk stories and myths, and a working grasp of Mandarin or Pinyin are useful for being in touch with the pulse and dynamics of this part of China.

urumqi,turpan

Urumqi Pronounced ‘wu-lu-mu-chi’. This is a modern city, which boasts of seven 5star hotels, and a population of 2.7 million, situated at the foot of Nanshan (Southern Mountains), in Xinxiang Autonomous region. We were told that there were 75 nationalities living in the region of a total population of 18million. September is a good time to visit.

Nanshan is 1,600 kilometers high and populated by the Kazaks. We were treated to a taste of milk tea…a weak tea with milk and salt

As this was our first stop from the airport before checking into our hotel, we were in need of toilet facilities. All they had was a mobile toilet which they charged 5 yuan to use, but it was filthy and an offence to the nostril and sight. It was not good introduction to the ‘beautiful pasture’.



Our dinner at a restaurant in the city consisted of lamb, beef and vegetables (10 varieties), rice and noodles. We tucked in as we were all very hungry by then, and the weather had become cool. We walked through the bazaar, and did some shopping of souvenirs.

The 5 star hotel we checked into was a very welcome respite.

The next day, access to Heavenly Lake was by cable car. A boat ride on the lake was very pleasant .


Turpan
A modern highway linked Urumqi to Turpan, 280 km apart. Along the way we stopped to view the windmills which were turbine powered generators of electricity. We passed through the Gobi (Mongolian term for ‘nothing grows’) desert to the ruins of the ancient city of GaoChang. It was very hot and dusty, and we needed our masks, and protective eyewear. At the entrance of the ruined city, we hopped onto a donkey cart which took us further into the ruins. With Flaming Mountains in the foreground and the flat sandy terrain, and unrelentless heat, it needed a lot of imagination to see Gao Chang as a once thriving and important trade, cultural, and administrative center.



The hotel we stayed in had a lovely façade, but facilities were limited and as we were housed in the old section, the condition of the rooms was dismal. We had been told it was the best hotel in Turpan, but later we went to another hotel to purchase souvenir Tshirts of the Silk Road, and found it to be a better hotel.

In Turpan, a visit to the Grape Valley is a surprise. One wondered how grapes could be grown in such a hot and dry climate. The Karez Wells, a Tang dynasty project, and one of China’s heritage site explains where the irrigation from 1100 wells in the city continues to enrich the soil for agriculture and market gardening. The Emin Minaret is a lovely edifice and monument showing the strong Islamic influence in this part of China.

dunhuang,jiayuguan

Dunhuang
This oasis city is a modern busy hub of tourist activity. We arrived by overnight train. The train cabins with four bunks were a tight squeeze for us and our luggage, but our cabins were close to the toilet and wash basins, which were clean. It was chaotic at Dunhuang station. We had to carry our luggage across the railway track , through the underpass to the entrance of the station where the tourist coach was waiting for us. The discomfort and inconvenience of the welcome to this city was compensated by the very lovely hotel where we were to stay. It was a modern hotel with an old world charm, and furnished in pseudo Ming style.

The visit to the Magao Caves was fascinating, but after a while, the art frescos, which were repetitive in the different caves became blurred. It was hot, and the guide to the caves spoke heavily accented English, which made it hard to listen to her continuously for the hour we were there. I did not finish the walk and climb to all the caves, but instead sat under the shade outside the caves.

The day ended with a visit to the Humming Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Lake. It was almost dusk, and the cooled temperature was welcomed as we experienced a half hour ride to the Lake and another half hour on the return journey by camel. The rolling rhythm of the ship of the desert was comfortable and safe.


Jiayuguan
This was the longest journey of the whole tour. 380 kms through desert, and off the highway, on bumpy motor tracks, very few landmarks and nothing but empty, flat sandy grounds as far as the eye can see. The driver was very experienced and skilful. We left Dunhuang at 4am each with our breakfast box. Those of us who managed to stay awake on the bus watched the sun rise over the horizon.

We arrived in a town called the ‘Jade gate’ where we had lunch. Another short ride took us to the Jiayuguan Pass and fort. Part of the Great wall could be seen for miles from the rampart of the fort. We walked through the exit gate of ancient China.

That night we had dinner at 5pm so as to board the overnight train again to Lanzhou at 6pm. The toilets and wash basins were situated further from our cabins, and they were not as clean.

lanzhou

Lanzhou
Urumqi is known in China as the center of Asia, and Lanzhou, the center of China. It is the capital city of the Gansu province. Modern, bustling and picturesque, it boasts of a history of 2000 years, and historical places and monuments such as the White Pagoda Mountain. Built during the time of the Mongols(Yuan dynasty), and rebuilt in the Ming dynasty after it was damaged by an earthquake, it stood proudly overlooking the Yellow river and the steel bridge built in the early 19th century to transport soldiers across the river. The Water Wheel Park was a reminder of the many water wheels in China which were used for irrigation in olden times.

The influence of Islam can be seen throughout the city which has a large Muslim community.



After lunch we headed for Xiahe, 3000 meters above sea level, where it can be very cold and snowing. Xiahe is the little Mecca of China with a population of 1+ million, with over 75% Muslims. We traveled on a very good highway for an hour. It was a picturesque ride, even when we got off the highway and bumped over village roads. This was the Loess plateau, where animal husbandry and agriculture and small craft industries engaged the people of this area. The roads got worse, and rain made the going tougher. We were all exhausted by the ride.

The hotel for the night was quaint, and poorly lit. The rooms were built like yurts. We had a cold night. It looked much nicer in the morning and was actually pretty in the daylight, with a garden filled with bright flowers.



That morning we visited the Labuleng Monastery which was 2 hours away by coach. There were many rules that we had to observe, and I felt rather oppressed by the dark, smoke-filled prayer rooms. The burning of candle wax made out of yak butter was stifling. The grounds of the monastery was rather unkempt and for a tourist attraction it did not have clear signs for public facilities. There were also few places under shade where one could find respite. An incident happened when we were there, and the monk who handled it lost his cool and the practice of the virtues he professed



We agreed to change our route so as to avoid the bad roads we had traveled on the night before. This meant re-routing to Gangi grasslands, and instead of returning to Lanzhou for the night, we went to Xining and spent two nights there. It was a very pleasant ride through the grasslands, and we welcomed the short walk, on the green windswept land, dotted with wild flowers, and surrounded by sculptured hills. At one spot, there were paper pieces of prayers scattered on the way to wish travelers safe journey.

moving to xining and south

As we traveled downhill the vegetation changed to shrubs, golden in color and there were lots of sheep grazing on the slopes of the Kun Lun Mountains. It was a very picturesque rural scene. In changing the route, we also agreed that we were tired of visiting monasteries. So we decided to pass up Taer Monastery, and instead asked the guide for a visit to a folk village tomorrow.

The hotel in Xining was comfortable, and of international standard. I was able to send my clothes to be laundered, and breakfast the next day was Western buffet with tea and coffee free flowing.



The visit to the folk village turned out to be a happy and enjoyable change. It gave us the opportunity to engage with the family members of the Hui minority community. We were greeted with cups of wine and we were told to respond by dipping our right ring finger three times, once for heaven, once for earth and once for ourselves. We were also garlanded with a white flimsy scarf before being taken into the inner yard where we watched dancing and singing by the ladies. A mock wedding ceremony for the three men in our group, and our guide was held, amid much laughter and teasing. We also enjoyed a game with the ladies of the community, and we won. The losers had to drink the wine that had been served. Some very lovely purchases of craft work were also made.



On the third day we left early for the Qinghai Lake, and on again to Lanzhou for a night. The lake was vast, and it was sunny, but the strong winds were cold. Stalls littered the streets to the edge of the lake. Vendors were Tibetans selling ‘antique’ imitations. What was sad was that children were taught to beg, by calling out loudly the amount of money they wanted. They refused less.

The journey back to Lanzhou was also through picturesque countryside. The hotel was very comfortable, and some of us went for foot reflexology that night.In the morning, on our way to Maiji grottoes, we saw that the industrial part of the city was quite polluted, but the landscape outside the city was dotted with ordered terraced hills of market gardening.

tiansui

Arriving in Tianshui, the bus stopped briefly in the middle of the main street, where the local guide joined the group. The name of the city “water from heaven” had a legend attached to it. We were also told that the water in the region is rich in minerals, and the ladies in the region are reputed to have very good skin. The fruits (apples and pears), we were told, are very sweet, because of the water.

Lunch was at a restaurant near the grottoes. The service at the restaurant was the best we had, and the food good.

Maiji grottoes mean “Huge stack of wheat’ so named because of its shape. It has 7200 Buddha sculptures carved in clay and stone, beginning in the 4th century, and preserved to this day. It was a long uphill climb to the base of the grotto, and I was about to give up when I was informed that I could pay for a motor bike ride up and down for 10yuan. Two of us decided to ride pillion to the base of the grotto. There were 750 steps up the Maiji.



The visit to the Fuxi temple was very informative. Fuxi was the person credited with the discovery of the use of the science of the elements. He was the legendary forefather of the Chinese people. After dinner, we walked through the night market and purchased some nuts, and Chinese instrumental music CDs.

The hotel in Tianshui was tacky but it was too late to change to a better hotel. We were promised a Tang dynasty show and dumpling dinner in Xian, as compensation.

xian

Xian
Our guide informed us that the highway to Xian had a few landslides, and we would have to make a detour which would set us back 6 hours. We were told we would be leaving at 6am and we would be given a boxed breakfast . We were stuck in traffic going out of Tianshui, and it was decided that we would abort the journey by road and take the day train which was leaving at 9am, for Xian. The train was crowded with sleeping bodies across three seats, giving no space to those who boarded later although we all had valid tickets. We were told we could wake up the Tibetans who were sleeping across all the seats, but no amount of nudging and calling woke them from their deep slumber. We learned from the others in the carriage where we finally found seats that the sleeping travelers had been on the train for 4 days. There was no room for our luggage which we had to leave outside the compartment. Our guide stayed out to keep an eye on them. The journey to Xian would take three hours. It turned out to be a bonus for us, as we made friends with the other passengers, and engaged in conversation with them. The young soldier who sat beside me was on his way home to Chongqing on annual leave. Much as we were interested in them, the Chinese were as curious about us. A group of men at the far end of the carriage were gambling, and at one of the station stops, armed police came into the cabin and hauled two of them away.

Famen temple was an hour away from the railway station in Xian, and it was our first stop after lunch when we arrived in Xian. Another local guide, Sam, met us with the tourist coach. He was very knowledgeable and informative, and we had a comprehensive history of Xian and the thirteen dynasties that once ruled there. We made a brief visit to the Muslim street before dinner. A longer visit would have been welcome but we were rushed through and some of us were slightly admonished for not returning on time to the meeting point. The hotel was very nice, and breakfast in the morning was a variety of Chinese and Western.

The highlight of Xian was the visit to the terracotta museum , and archeological sites. Fascinating history, and even more fascinating sights. The old farmer who discovered the first site was present in the foyer putting his signature to the book about the terracotta finds. No photographs were allowed. We were shown a movie made of the discovery of the sites. It was effectively shown in a theatre of the round.



In the afternoon we visited the Huaqing Pool, a hotspring resort used by the emperor and his concubine, the legendary Yang Kwei Fei.. Lunch was near the hotsprings.

The day ended with a visit to Shanxi history museum. It had the whole of China’s history, traced out from archeological discoveries that went as far back to prehistoric times. We were later taken to a shopping center where we purchased Chinese snacks and tea .

The next morning we visited the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, and had a stopover at a government shopping mall, before proceeding to lunch which had to be consumed in half an hour as we had to be at the airport to check in for our flight to Beijing.



China is fast developing and we could see that the infrastructures would fast be completed. In less than a year’s time, I dare predict that these developments would bring changes and modernization to the areas we visited. It will be a different journey and the essence of what it was like those many centuries ago would be changed, and perhaps lost.



Grace Chung Li Koon

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

6th October, 2005.