Silk Road Tours

The Silk Road was the symbol of Chinese civilization, having been the trade route between China and Western countries. The term "Silk Road," or "die Seidenstrasse" in German, was first noted down by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen at the end of the 19th century.

The ancient Silk Road linked China with Central Asia, South Asia and Europe, and now the Eurasian Continental Bridge traverses the region. Not only a commercial passageway, western China also was the region where the Yellow River valley cultures, the Ganges River valley culture, the ancient Greek culture and the Persian culture underwent exchange and integration.

There were no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilization in earlier history. In about the seventh century BC, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the east, yet knew little about it. Before the Silk Road, according to archeological findings, there had already existed an intermittent trade route on the grasslands from the Yellow River and Indus River drainage areas to the Euphrates and Tigris and the Nile drainage areas. Yet real communication between China, Central and West Asian countries, Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road.

The Silk Road served as the main channel for ancient China to open up to the outside world, as well as for fresh impulses from other cultures to enter the country, which contributed a significant share to the shaping of Chinese culture.

The Silk Road unfolds like a parted scroll of China’s cultural and historical legacies. Xi'an, the starting point of the Silk Road, is home to the Eighth Wonder of the World: the Terracotta Warriors and Horses buried more than 2.000 years ago in from of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang (221 B.C. -206B.C.). At Dunhung, in northwest China's Gobi Desert, the Mogao Grottos (366-1368) are a lasting reminder of the cultural accomplishments of ancient Chinese peoples. Visitors can experience the awesome power of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan Pass, where the vast desert's ruins and relics offer a glimpse of the prosperous state of Loulan (300-420 A.D.).

In order for you to discover the charm of the Silk Road, we provide the following popular tours of the Silk Road. And we can help you plan your own tailor-made trip to Silk Road.