Silk Road (Xinjiang & Gansu) Travel Guide

About Silk Road (Xinjiang & Gansu)

For 2,000 years, merchants carried silk, jade, and ideas along the Silk Road. Today, you can follow their path from Xi'an — where it all began — through the Hexi Corridor (Dunhuang's Mogao Caves, the Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye), across the Gobi Desert to Turpan's vineyards and flaming mountains, and finally to Kashgar — China's most Central Asian city, with its Sunday Bazaar and Old City that feels more like Samarkand than Shanghai.

Top Sights

1.Mogao Caves (Dunhuang)

2.Rainbow Mountains (Zhangye Danxia)

3.Jiayuguan Fort

4.Flaming Mountains (Turpan)

5.Kashgar Old City

6.Lake Karakul

What to Eat

Lanzhou beef noodlesUyghur lamb skewersNaan breadHand-pulled laghman noodlesMelons (Hami and Turpan)Polo (Uyghur pilaf)

Local Tips

Mogao Caves: book English tour in advance — limited daily quota

Bring a scarf and sunglasses — desert dust storms possible

Kashgar Sunday Bazaar is the livestock market — go early

Xinjiang is 2 hours behind Beijing time officially, but local time is used informally

Quick Facts

Best For: Adventure travelers, history enthusiasts, culture seekers
Duration: 10-14 days recommended
Best Season: May-October (avoid winter — extreme cold)
Climate: Continental desert — hot summers (30-40°C), cold winters (-10 to 5°C). Large day-night temperature swings.
Getting There: Start in Xi'an, fly to Lanzhou. End in Kashgar or Urumqi. Multiple domestic flights and trains throughout.

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Silk Road (Xinjiang & Gansu)