The last day of my Xinjiang trip was spent in Urumqi, the region’s capital. Once a major hub on the Silk Road, Urumqi has seen large amounts of economic and infrastructure development to become the largest city in Western China. Highway development is evident everywhere in the city — overpasses Read more
Today’s Silk Road travels bring us to Turpan, a small city and former oasis on the Silk Road. With the construction of the new high-speed railway in 2015, this city is now only an hour by train from Urumqi. The train was scheduled to leave Urumqi at 9:07 a.m., so Read more
Greetings, Off the Silk Road readers! I write to you with some very exciting news. For the first time, Off the Silk Road is actually on the Silk Road! For the next five days, I will be embarking on an expedition to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Xinjiang (æ–°ç–†), meaning “new Read more
I can’t believe I’m doing this again! Next week, I will be in China on my 16th trip to the Middle Kingdom. Like most trips, this trip will have a few phases and purposes. Return to the Capital: Beijing Bai the Lakeside: Dali with the Middlebury School of the Read more