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Silk Road: China
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Dietrich Meyer (meyerd)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 97 W: 15 N: 608]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif) (1488) |
| Genre: Places |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2007-08-26 |
| Categories: Transportation |
| Camera: Olympus SP500UZ |
| Map: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-03-18 13:47 |
| Viewed: 300 |
| Points: 2 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Silkroad travels: the train from Kashgar
The comfortable train from Kashgar to Ürümqi was called Minzu Tuanjienao (=United Nationalities). True to its name, Kyrgyz, Kazachs, many Han Chinese, Uighurs and we of Alpine breed mixed for the 26 h drive. There is no First and Second class, but "Soft sleeper" (this one) and "Hard sleeper". You notice our couchettes, the thermos with the compliments of the car steward, a bike on the floor in front of Peter. The passenger to the left decided to buy himself a box with "Lagman" in the dining car and prepare the meal with the hot water.
The train passes through very different regions: from the rim of the Taklamakan desert it climbs up an impressive pass in the Tien Shan mountains only to wind down again into the Turpan sink (minus 155 m asl. at its lowest point at the lakeshore south of Turpan oasis). The track continues through canyons and mountains to Ürümqi, a big city bordering the Tsungaric desert.
I put the "View:map" mark on Turpan (also called Turfan) so you can study this important outpost of the Chinese empire on the ancient Silk Road (you have to zoom out some first). Today Turpan produces the grapes for much of China. To the North of the oasis you find the "Valley of the grapes". Turpan had been inhabited by Indoeuropeans adopting Buddhism until the 7th century, when Uighurs started taking over. In "View: map" you can consult the vestiges of Buddhist monasteries on the outskirts of the city.
The Berlin Museums hold the world renowned "Turfan collection", material collected by the Prussian archeologist-adventurers Le Coq, Bartus and Grünwedel from 1902-1914. |
Buin, jubiladojesus has marked this note useful
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- Buin
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3260 W: 0 N: 6352]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(22229) - [2008-03-19 12:36]
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Hallo Dieter!
Wieder ein unglaublich liebevoll und akribisch gemachter Beitrag! Man ist wirklich hautnah "dabei"!
Übrigens, schöner kann man Essen kaum servieren - und arrangieren! ;-)
Grüße aus dem Schneetreiben!
Frank
