While exploring the Silk Road, travelers will witness many breathtaking sites. The magnificent scenery and cultural relics on the China Silk Road tours will make you unforgettable.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses
As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xi’an is home to many historical sites. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is one of the most famous attractions in Xian, known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. This site demonstrates to the world the brilliant achievements of ancient Chinese sculptures.
The museum is currently open to the public in a total of three pits, according to the order of discovery organized as Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3. Here, you can appreciate the different forms of terracotta figurines. For example, the general figurine holds a sword gazing into the distance; the archer figurine holds a bow and arrow; the harness figurine holds the reins.
Mogao Grottoes
During your Dunhuang tours, you can find many cultural and artistic relics. With a large number of cultural relics, Mogao Grottoes are the famous destination for Buddhist art. This relic is also a witness to the cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
Mogao Grottoes now preserve 735 caves, more than 2400 colored sculptures, with a mural painting area of 45,000 square meters. Cave 96 is the landmark of Mogao Caves, commonly known as the “Nine Storey Pagoda”. The huge Maitreya Buddha statue molded on the mountain in the cave is the largest statue in the Mogao Caves.
Jiaohe Ruins
On your Xinjiang tours, you can admire many historical sites of the Silk Road. Jiaohe Ruins in Turpan were the center town of the southern route of the ancient Silk Road. And this site is the world’s largest surviving raw earth architectural site now.
The ancient city is about 1,750 meters long from north to south and is divided into parts such as temples, houses, and government offices. The buildings here are built according to the natural terrain, and the whole city seems to be carved directly out of the earth. The main architectural structure of Jiaohe Ruins maintains the style of Tang Dynasty.
Kashgar Ancient City
Kashgar Ancient City is located in Kashgar, Xinjiang, which is one of the important nodes of the ancient Silk Road. It is a famous attraction on the journey of the Silk Road and the living area of Uyghur residents. There is an opening ceremony every morning around 10:00 am, where you can watch minority performances.
You can see colorful earthen and brick walls with round arches, colored doors and windows, and other characteristic decorations. Also, you can observe many Kashgar intangible cultural heritages in the ancient city, and enjoy the Uyghurs exquisite brick carving skills and earthenware firing skills here.
Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot
Zhangye has been a Silk Road trading town since ancient times, with a unique natural landscape. The Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot is 40 kilometers away from Zhangye city, famous for brilliant colors and interlocking layers. The terrain of the colorful Danxia is also very peculiar, presented in columns, towers, castles, etc.
Standing on the observation deck to overlook the mountains, you can capture a view of multiple vibrant colors intertwined to form nature’s palette. The Danxia at night is also stunning. After watching the sunset, you can check in at the night tour observation deck directly for a night tour by bus. As you enter the valley, the lights along the road illuminate the Danxia and take you into a magical world.
