Asian_Geographic_Issue_4_2017

IMAGE © MICHAEL LEE

It was bucketing down when we

arrived in Shanghai, but the wet

weather did little to deter our

excitement. We were soon sloshing our

way through the deluge to the Lanzhou

Museum to gain an understanding

of the historical context of the famed

route we were about to embark on.

Well-fed, we headed to the

Tiandishan Grottoes – which

translates to the “Heaven Ladder

Mountain Grottoes” – some of the

earliest grottoes built in China, which

represent a key historical landmark

in Buddhist history.

We descended 62 steps into

a cavernous ochre dam, initially

built to supply water to the local

community. This dam houses a

series of enormous Buddha statues,

the largest of which is the 15-metre

Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by two

disciples, two bodhisattvas, and two

heavenly kings.

After overnighting in Zhangye, we

made a short detour to the Zhangye

PART 1: DUNHUANG, CHINA

June 4 –10, 2017

IN JUNE 2017, 15 EXPLORERS

EMBARKED ON THE TRIP OF A
LIFETIME, TRACING THE HISTORY

OF THE SILK ROAD IN CHINA.
ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC’S SHELLEN TEH

SHARES HER EXPERIENCE OF THE
EXPEDITION – THE FIRST IN

A SERIES OF THREE

Discover the Silk Road

It was not all work and no play,

however, and our group of 15 intrepid

explorers began to get to know one

another over a delicious dinner

beside the mighty Yellow River.

The next morning, we were up

early and on the road in our private

bus, making our way out of the grey

gloom of the city. Arriving in rural

Wuwei in Gansu, our guide got some

lunch spot tips from a group of locals,

and we were soon tucking into a

hearty meal of handmade noodles.

I came to learn that we were served

first because we were guests in

town. I was surprised by these small

gestures which made me feel so

warmly welcomed.

Explorers Jenny and Chee Tiong on

a camel ride in the Gobi Desert

post-event RepoRt