The Journey to the West, Part 2

Abstract

Brunt recounts the later parts of his trip to China’s far west, following the Silk Road to Urumqi in Xinjiang province. Silk Road highlights include the Mogao Grottoes (a UNESCO world heritage site) and the karez irrigation system (a network of tunnels 2000 years old, but still operational, that enables fruit to be grown in the desert). Xinjiang is a hotbed of Muslim insurgency and terrorist activity, so security is tight—armed guards and luggage x-rays are stationed in hotel lobbies. Entering the bazaar is similarly difficult but, once there, you can freely buy huge knives and swords (the production of which is a local speciality) so security implementation is again uneven.