Blogs from Turpan, Xinjiang, China, Asia - page 3

The summer of 2009 will be the one I remember with special affection, for it took me to places that have long been in my imagination and in my dreams. These summer travels and experiences also remind me of the diversity and vastness of this amazing country called China. Much of the thanks for my unique summer adventure is offered to my wonderful College, Taizhou Teachers College, it's genteel and respected President, Mr. Xu, my dear friend, Mr. Lee, and three other travel companions, representing the college administration, Mr. Yang, Ms. Yang, and Mr. Huang. Each added so much to this satisfying journey to the NorthWest of China, tracing some portions of the ancient trade route called, the "Silk Road", linking ancient China with Medieval Europe. I can only hope, that the attached photos and the ... read more

Turpan, one of the four famous "furnaces" in China. Apart from that , it is also famous for its Karez wells , Jiaohe Gucheng, Sugong Ta, Huoyan Shan (fiery mountain), Turpan Pendi & grapes. Grapes are widely cultivated in Turpan, produces some 50% of grapes output of China. Karez wells - an ancient & fantastic underground irrigation system - melting water from the mountains is channelled to the oasis over long distant underground (to prevent water from evaporating) using the force of gravity that is still use today which span some 3000km long. Ruined city of Jiaohe Gucheng (Old City by Two Rivers) - 10km (6 miles) to the west of Turpan , was founded in the Han period (206BC - AD220) & served as the centre of a kingdom until the 5th century. Civil wars ... read more

I am currently in Turpan. It is so different from the China that we have seen so far. . We feel like we have hit the real Silk Road now. We left Dunhuang on Friday . It was a big day of driving through the desert - 500km and 14hrs of pretty much continuous driving. There were big sand dunes around Dunhuang (we hired bikes and rode out to the dunes which was good to get out of town a bit). The desert that we were travelling through on the way to Turpan was not that spectacular. The highlight was the sculptures along the roadside - a giant white elephant, a giant kangaroo, a giant horse and a giant camel. We saw lots of wild (real) camels as well. We turned off the road at around ... read more

Part 2: Silk Road PREVIOUS WEEK IN REVIEW… (listening to: King Tubby) Tuesday Our Final Exam format was revealed, and CHI 201 portfolio due. Not too stressed about the course any longer now that all major projects are turned in; Final looks manageable especially since it’s all I have to focus on. Had the most delicious BaoZi for breakfast this morning—shredded carrot w/egg & potato. Most surprising thing about Chinese cuisine this trip has been the often and exceptional use of eggs. Past few days have been such a blur that I don’t remember much more about them in retrospect. Our new art teacher, Dr. Beningson, arranged for us to visit an art exhibit called “Reason’s Clue” at Lin & Keng Gallery, and talk to two of the artists participating in the show. Zhang Hongtu, a ... read more

Alla fine sono rimasto a Kashgar per tre mercati della domenica, il tempo di sentirmi ormai di casa e conoscere per bene tutti i prezzi dei vari animali: dai 200 ai 300 euro per una cavallo, 500 per un cammello adulto, 200 per uno giovane e 24 euro per 5 pecore, se ho ben capito; non avendo spazio nello zaino ho rinunciato a quest'ultimo strepitoso affare e mi sono limitato a gustare la loro prelibata carne cotta allo spiedo per 6 centesimi al pezzo. Anche la cucina locale non ha piu' segreti, avendo la possibilita' di scegliere tra torte di carne, laghman, gli spaghetti locali filati a mano e lunghi qualche decina di metri, e poi teste d'agnello bollite, zampe cotte al vapore, litri di the' e il buon vino rosso locale. La vita notturna si ... read more