China

LIAONING, JILIN, & HEILONGJIANG 447

Jilin 7 and Jilin also stages an ice

festival from January to the

end of February.

60 miles (100 km) E of Changchun. Pleasant walks along paths,
* 1,300,000. ~ £ c g to and past shrines and pavilions
Shanghai, Dalian & Tianjin. n 2288 are possible in hilly Beishan
Park in the west of town. The
Chongqing Lu, (0432) 244 3451. park has an array of Daoist

KNOWN AS KIRIN during the and Buddhist temples that are
Japanese occupation worth investigating, including

between 1931 and 1945, the the Guandi Temple (Guandi

city of Jilin is a little-visited Miao), the Three King Temple

industrial settlement on either (Sanwang Miao), and the Jade

side of the Songhua or Emperor’s Temple (Yuhuang

Sungari River. Like many Ge), with a gaggle of fortune

other cities in the northeast, tellers in front.

Jilin has a short history and Locals are proud of the city’s

was a small village until the attractive Catholic Church, Statues at the scholars’ altar,

17th century when it was built by the French in the Confucius Temple, Jilin

fortified. It was heavily early 19th century. It rises up Y Beishan Park

industrialized during the west of Jilin’s main bridge # daily. &

Japanese occupation, on Songjiang Lu, the road 5 Catholic Church

when the huge hydro- along the north bank of the 3 Songjiang Lu. # daily during

electric power station at river. Vandalized during service hours only.

Fengman on the the Cultural Revolution, t Confucius Temple

Songhua River was con- the church became the 2 Nanchang Lu. # daily. &

structed. The station city’s emblem after it ENVIRONS: Not far from Jilin,
Zhuque Shan (Rosefinch
generates one of Jilin’s reopened in 1980. Mountain) has earned a
reputation for its ski slopes.
major winter attrac- East of the church is Formerly known for its
temples and hiking oppor-
tions – shugua or the Confucius tunities, it now offers two
slopes for sledding and
needle-like white frost Temple (Wen skiing. Its restaurant, which
stands on a heated platform,
which covers the Miao), dedicated to provides panoramic views
over the hills.
branches of the river- the great sage.
About 15 miles (24 km)
side pine and willow Candidates of the southeast of Jilin is the pic-
turesque Songhua Lake
trees. As warm water imperial civil service (Songhua Hu), covering a
vast and panoramic area sur-
from the power sta- examinations came rounded by peaks. It provides
an excellent getaway from
tion flows into the Catholic Church, here to pray for his town, offering hiking and
boating in a huge forested
Songhua, its temper- Jilin help and blessings. park setting. Every winter, an
expensive, state-of-the-art ski
ature rises and it The sedate temple resort operates on the slopes
around the lake, attracting
remains unfrozen. Evapo- provides an escape from crowds of cross-country fans.
At the lake’s southern end is
rating water droplets from the Jilin’s modern face. the Fengman Dam, the site of
the city’s hydro-electric power
river condense along the In the south of the city, the station. Due to the river’s
annual flooding, four sluice
branches of trees and freeze, Meteorite Shower Museum gates are opened to keep Jilin
from being submerged.
producing a sparkling display houses a scattering of rock

of ice-rimmed branches, fragments that rained down

resembling fragile pieces of around Jilin in 1976, including

coral. As with Harbin, winter a vast specimen weighing

is the main tourist season, nearly two tons (1,770 kg).

The delicate frost that covers Jilin’s trees each year } Zhuque Shan

Taxi from Jilin train station. # daily.
& Ski gear available.

} Songhua Lake

c No. 338 from Jilin to Fengman.

then taxi to ski resorts.

448 THE NORTHEAST

Changbai Shan 8

LISTED AS A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, White birch
Changbai Shan (Ever-White Mountains) Despite heavy deforestation,
is the largest of China’s nature reserves there are still healthy numbers
at 760 sq miles (1,965 sq km) with a rich of over 80 species of tree such
abundance of fauna and flora. Thick as these white birch.

belts of deciduous and coniferous forest
harbor important medicinal plants like
ginseng, and endangered animals like
Korean minorities the Siberian (or Manchurian) Tiger,
in ethnic dress while above the treeline lies the only
alpine tundra in East Asia. The highlight of any visit to
Changbai Shan is Tian Chi (Heaven’s Lake), a glittering
volcanic crater that straddles the mountainous border
with North Korea. This is China at its wildest and most
spectacular, with opportunities for hiking amid
dramatic scenery, although the area is only open to
exploration during summer and early autumn.

BEIHE Tianweng
Feng

. Changbai Waterfall Longmen
Tian Chi releases huge quantities of Feng
water (the mountains are capped
with snow between October and June) Jinping
creating the dramatic 225-ft (68-m) Feng
high waterfall near the volcanic crater.

GINSENG 0 kilometers 1

The root of the ginseng (Panax 0 miles 1

ginseng) plant has been valued in KEY

China for thousands of years for its International Border
Path
healing and rejuvenating properties.

Native to Korea and Northeast China,

ginseng is a slow-growing herbaceous

perennial that is widely farmed

(although wild specimens are most

highly prized). Ginseng from Northeast The root and leaves of

China is especially esteemed and was the ginseng plant STAR SIGHTS

once protected under imperial edict to . Changbai Waterfall

prevent overharvesting. Its efficacy does not develop until the . Tianchi – Heaven’s
Lake
plant is around six years of age. Premium quality wild ginseng

is very expensive costing between US$150–450 per gram.

However, buyer beware; the market is awash with fake produce.

LIAONING, JILIN, & HEILONGJIANG 449

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

16 miles (25 km) S of Baihe; 350
miles (560 km) E of Jilin.
c or £ to Baihe, then bus or
taxi. # Jun–Sep (snowbound
the rest of the year). Last bus
back to Baihe 4pm. &
8 from Jilin (CITS). 0 -

. Tian Chi – Heaven’s Lake
The volcano last erupted in
1702, wiping out most of the
surrounding forest. The deep
waters of Tian Chi (China’s
deepest lake) are said to harbor
an aquatic beast similar to
the Loch Ness Monster.

NORTH
KOREA

Hot springs near Tian Chi
Many springs reach temperatures of over

176° F (80° C) – hot enough for local
hawkers to boil eggs and for visitors to
take therapeutic dips in steamy pools.

Baiyung
Feng

CLIMBING CHANGBAI SHAN Trekking opportunities
Even at peak periods, it is easy to enjoy
Due to heavy snowfall, Changbai Shan is and explore the wilderness and beauty
only open to trekking from June to October. of Changbai Shan at leisure – however,
Although a tempting 8 miles (13 km) in do not stray into North Korea.
circumference, Tian Chi cannot be circum-
navigated as it overlaps with North Korea.
Prepare for unpredictable weather conditions
as it can get very cold (and carry plenty of
food and water.) The more sedentary can
hire a 4-wheel-drive taxi all the way to the
main peak. Visitors can overnight in one of
the hotels on Changbai Shan or in tents on
the lake shore. Tours are easy to find and
usually include two nights in a hotel.

450 THE NORTHEAST

Harbin 9 sculptures, ranging from
simple statues to buildings,
SITUATED IN THE FAR NORTH of China close to the vast monuments, and temples.
sub-Siberian plains, Harbin is the pleasant capital of
Heilongjiang province. It was a simple fishing hamlet Close by, Harbin’s riverfront
on the Songhua River until the Russians linked it to is dotted with a number of
both Vladivostok and Dalian (see pp444–5) by rail at interesting sights. The Flood
the close of the 19th century. The railway and the Control Monument at the
Bolshevik Revolution brought large numbers of Russians northern end of Zhongyang
to the city, prompting a change in Harbin’s fortunes. Dajie was erected in 1958 to
Once called “Little Moscow” for its charming pockets of commemorate the river’s
Russian architecture, Harbin still vaguely resembles an flood-prone history. Stretch-
outpost of Imperial Russia. While the city’s summer is ing 26 miles (42 km) along
quite pleasant, its winter temperatures dip below –22°F the riverbank is Stalin Park,
(–30°C), perfect weather for its spectacular Ice Festival. China’s last public memorial
to Joseph Stalin. It is an
People walking and relaxing along Harbin’s riverbank engaging riverside promenade
and meeting place for Harbin
Exploring Harbin streets here are alive with the locals. In summer, boat trips
can be taken along the river
Harbin’s most pleasurable bustle of pavement cafés and across to Sun Island
Park on the northern bank.
aspects lie within the Daoli during summer. The park has a variety of
recreational attractions and
district (Daoli Qu), the area East of Zhongyang Dajie is can also be reached by cable
car. In winter, the river
stretching from the main rail- the Church of St. Sofia, the freezes over completely, and
visitors can hire go-carts or
way station to the Songhua city’s most spectacular Russian simply walk across. An annual
snow sculpture exhibition is
River. The district’s downtown edifice. Dating from 1907, it held on Sun Island, which is
also home to the Siberian
area is lined with several is also the largest Russian Tiger Park, where the endan-
gered Manchurian tiger is
upmarket boutiques, fur Orthodox church in the Far currently being bred. Visitors
may want to give this rather
shops, and department East. This Byzantine- dismal place a miss, as the
fenced-off area seems much
stores. Visitors can walk style red-brick too small for the big cats,
who are constantly being
north along the pedestri- cathedral is topped teased with live chickens by
noisy busloads of tourists.
anized shopping street with a green,
Southeast of the main rail-
of Zhongyang Dajie onion-shaped way station, the Provincial
Museum has a rather unin-
to explore the pictures- dome. It houses the spiring collection of exhibits
with no English captions.
que cobbled alleys and Architecture Farther east along Dong

architectural legacies and Arts Centre, a The splendid Byzantine-style
Church of St. Sofia
of the grand Russian rewarding photo-

era. Numerous shops A motorcycle taxi graphic exhibition of
and buildings on in Harbin the Russian influence

Zhongyang Dajie on Harbin.

have been restored, and their To the north, Zhaolin Park

histories recorded in English is the setting for many of the

on exterior plaques. The ice sculptures of the annual

lanes leading off Zhongyang Ice Festival (Bingdeng Jie),

Dajie are ideal for a leisurely officially held every year from

stroll, while along its length January 5 to February 25. In

are several good bars and winter, the park is trans-

restaurants. Lined with ice formed into a glistening won-

sculptures in winter, the derland of brightly-lit ice

LIAONING, JILIN, & HEILONGJIANG 451

5 Church of St Sofia VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Diduan Jie. # daily. & 340 miles (550 km) N of
Shenyang. * 2,700,000. k
Y Sun Island Park £ c Harbin Bus Station,
CAAC (buses to airport). n 14
3 Jingbei Lu. # daily. & Songhuajiang Jie, (0451) 5360
1717. _ Ice Festival (Jan 5–Feb
t Jile Si 25), Harbin Music Festival (Jul).

9 Dong Dazhi Jie. # daily. Japanese army’s 731 Division,
the gruesome remains of the
&Y Harbin Northern experimental base are now
open to the public. It housed
Forest Zoo a top-secret research unit
that subjected thousands of
Gezidong. # daily. & Chinese, Korean, British,
Mongolian, and Russian
Tiger at the Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin prisoners to some truly
horrendous experiments. The
ENVIRONS: 12 miles (20 Japanese destroyed the base
Dazhi Jie are some of Harbin’s km) southwest of Harbin in at the end of World War II,
and it was only after the
Buddhist temples, all of which the small village of Pingfang, dogged efforts of a Japanese
journalist in the 1980s that
were damaged during the the Japanese Germ Warfare the existence of the base was
exposed. The museum is
Cultural Revolution. The quiet Experimental Base is the largely limited to photographs
and all captions are in
Jile Si is home to an active city’s most notorious sight. Chinese, but the site survives
as a somber monument to
Buddhist community. The Formerly operated by the the atrocities of World War II.

complex follows a typical P Japanese Germ Warfare
Experimental Base
Buddhist temple layout with
Pingfang. # daily. &
Drum and Bell Towers, Hall

of Heavenly Kings, and a

main hall, adorned with

statues of Sakyamuni (the

Historical Buddha) and

various bodhisattvas. Adjacent

is the seven-tiered Qiji Futu

Pagoda, standing within the

largest temple complex in the

province. Nearby on Wenmiao

Jie, the Confucian Temple is a

sizeable shrine also worth

visiting. Harbin’s zoo has

been moved 25 miles (41 km)

away from the city center,

renamed Harbin Northern

Forest Zoo, and is now one The elegant, seven-tiered Qiji Futu

of the largest zoos in China. Pagoda in the northeast of town

HARBIN CITY CENTER

Church of St. Sofia 2

Flood Control Monument 4 6 Harbin Zoo

Jile Temple 8 4 4

Provincial Museum 7 JINGYU JIE
TAIGU JIE
Qiji Futu Pagoda 9 a Songhua Jiang
Stalin Park 5
4

Sun Island Park 6 5 Y I L U JINGYANG JIE

Zhaolin Park 3 YOU 1 3 9
8
Zhongyang Dajie 1 a JINGWEI JIE

2
ANGUO JIE
0 km 1 JIE

DONG£JIHON G
DAZHI JIE
0 miles 1 HO FEN

KEY D O N CHILDREN'S
PARK
NGUJ U LU

7 U

£ Train station Harbin c JIE
N
Bus Station
c Long distance bus station
XI DAZHI JIE LU
4 Riverboat pier ZHONGSHAN

a Cable car Harbin Airport, CAAC
n Tourist information Pingfang
c

n

N Post office

452 THE NORTHEAST

can also dip well below Zhalong Nature
freezing point through to
April, with fewer transport Reserve q

and accommodations

options. July and August

are the wettest and busiest 17 miles (27 km) SE of Qiqiha’er. £ to

months, and booking Qiqiha’er, then bus. c # daily. &

ahead at lakeside hotels

is recommended. An CHINA’S LARGEST wetland
alternative is to stay in reserve, the 518,700-acre

Mudanjiang city to the (210,000-ha) Zhalong Nature

north, from where buses Reserve lies in the Songhua-

depart for Jingpo Hu. Nen River plain, along a major

Activities include boating, bird migratory route from the

fishing, and hiking and Arctic to Southeast Asia.

boat tours around the lake Zhalong’s reedbeds, ponds,

can also be arranged. Not and marshland provide an

far from the waterfall is a ideal home to almost 300

Korean minority village. species of birds, including

Several volcanic features swans, storks, ducks, geese,

dot the surrounding area, egret, white ibis, and other

including lava caves and waterfowl. Established in

Diving off the edge of Diaoshuilou the Dixia Senlin (Under- 1979, the reserve is one of the

Pubu (Diaoshuilou Waterfall), Jingpo Hu ground Forest), 31 miles few breeding grounds in the

Jingpo Hu 0 (50 km) northwest of Far East for the marsh
Jingpo Hu. Not actually grassbird (Megalurus pryeri).

subterranean, the forest has Six of the world’s 15 varieties

grown spectacularly in the of crane are also found here.

62 miles (100 km) SW of Mudanjiang. fertile soil of ten dormant The most famous are the
£ from Mudanjiang to Dongjing, volcanic craters. The delicate endangered red-crowned
crane (Grus japonensis), a tall
then minibus to Jingpo Hu in summer ecosystem here supports bird with black and white
only; in winter via taxi. c from a varied animal and plumage and a red crest that
Harbin & Mudanjiang. n 34 plant population is the symbol of longevity in
including black China, and the white-naped
Jingfu Lu, Mudanjiang, (0453) bears, leopards, crane (Grus vipio), both of
695 0061. # daily. & purple pines,

AN attractive, firs, and drag- which are bred at a research
31-mile (50-km)
on spruces. center here. Other rare bird

long winding strip Taxis and buses species that visit Zhalong

of water, Jingpo Hu leave regularly include the swan goose (Anser

was carved from the A visitor enjoying a ride from Jingpo cygnoides), and the siberian

Mudan River by on a jet ski at Jingpo Hu Hu’s main gate crane, (Grus leucogeranus).

volcanic eruptions to Dixia Senlin. Birds arrive in spring, and

thousands of years ago. The It is also worth looking out begin breeding in summer.

surrounding forested slopes for tour buses to the lake that The best time to visit the

are clearly reflected in the include trips to Dixia Senlin. reserve is from April to June.

lake’s waters, hence its name, It is advisable to take binocu-

“Mirror Lake.” In summer, } Dixia Senlin lars, as Zhalong’s population

busloads of visitors – largely 50 km NW of Jingpo Hu. # daily. & of waterfowl can be elusive.

Chinese and Russian – gather

at Jingpo Shanzhuang, a

village on the northern shore

equiped with abundant resort

facilities. Although tourism

has spoiled some of the lake’s

natural beauty, much of its

huge body of water and the

luxuriant wooded hills are still

tranquil and worth exploring.

The 131-ft (40-m) wide water-

fall Diaoshuilou Pubu lies at

the northern end of the lake.

Its cascade is most impressive

in the wetter summer months,

while in winter, it freezes into

a spectacular curtain of ice.

Visiting the lake is possible in

winter, although temperatures The marshlands at Zhalong Nature Reserve, important to migrating birds

LIAONING, JILIN, & HEILONGJIANG 453

Fossils of Northeast China

CHINA HAS LONG been an has captured the imagination
excellent hunting ground for because of the discovery of at

fossil collectors. Over 130 least five feathered species of

million years ago much of dinosaurs. The feathers were

northern China was volcanic, not only used for flight, but also

richly forested and teeming with for insulation and perhaps

life. As the volcanoes erupted Coiled shell of decoration. Such has been the
they covered the land with dust, an ammonite excitement – and indeed money

hot ash, and mud, and for many – generated by these discoveries

years fossils of all kinds have been that fossils have become big business

uncovered, from simple, shellfish-like in the area. Locals are discovering and

ammonites through to complete illegally selling what they find, and

skeletons of large dinosaurs. More even going so far as to create fake

recently, the area of northeast China fossils that have fooled the scientists.

Dragonfly fossils
like this reveal even
the delicate tracery
of the insect’s wings.
This amazing detail

was retained thanks
to a thin dusting of

fine volcanic ash that was
followed by a thick layer of mud,

preventing oxidation and rapid decay.

Paleontology has become a booming
business in China and placed the country
at the heart of important debates about
evolution. Therefore the government
has been keen to sponsor further
research and museums.

This Dicynodont was
a plant-eating reptile the

size of a pig, with two large
front teeth – its name means
“two dog teeth.” One of the most

common dinosaur fossils, it has
been found all over the world.

Dinosaur eggs are classified Microraptor gui was a four-winged creature – its legs were
by size and shell type because it feathered too – that glided from tree to tree. The outline of the
is difficult to tell what species feathers can clearly be seen, and some think that it might
they were laid by. Some are very represent an intermediate stage between dinosaurs and birds.
similar to birds’ eggs, further
strengthening the theory that
birds descended from a specific
group of dinosaurs.

454 THE NORTHEAST

ment is the village of Wu Da
Lian Chi, which has several
hotels. Since the guided tours
available often make costly
and needless diversions, visit-
ors may find it more efficient
to travel independently by
regular taxi or motorcycle cab.

} Bai Long Dong

# daily. &

ENVIRONS: The Heilong

Jiang (Black Dragon River,

known as the Amur in Russia),

that lends its name to this

One of the five volcanic lakes at Wu Da Lian Chi province, demarcates a long

Wu Da Lian Chi & Shan generated most of the section of the border between
China and Siberia. Several of

the River Border w magma that spilled out into Northeast China’s ethnic tribes
the surrounding area. How- traditionally settled in this

ever, like all the volcanoes at region, making their living

Wu Da Lian Chi, it is now from the river, although many

232 miles (375 km) N of Harbin. £ dormant. Visitors can also have now been assimilated

from Harbin or Qiqiha’er to Beian, then bathe in the area’s pungent into the larger Han Chinese

bus to Wu Da Lian Chi. c from Harbin. hot water springs and taste population. It is possible to

the local mineral water. Appa- see Siberian forests and small

ALARGE AND POPULAR nature rently bursting with dissolved settlements along the border.
reserve situated in a vol- minerals and curative powers, Since most parts of this region
canic field, Wu Da Lian Chi the waters are sought by a require a permit, it is advisable

lies in a region in western devoted band of the ill and to check with Harbin’s Public

Heilongjiang inhabited by the infirm, as well as elderly Security Bureau.

ancient Daur minority. Its Chinese, who flock to Wu Da Connected to Harbin by

name, meaning “Five Big Lian Chi to avail of treatment train, the large border town of

Connected Lakes,” is derived in the numerous sanatoriums Heihe sees a healthy cross-

from the five bodies of water that have opened here. The border trade with the Russian

created by a succession of waters are also the star attrac- port town of Blagoveshchensk,

volcanic eruptions, the most tion of the annual Water which can be visited with a

recent occurring in the 18th Drinking Festival of the local tourist visa for Russia, arranged

century. The resulting lava, Daur people, held every May. in Beijing. Hour-long cruises

which blocked the Bei River Underground caverns dot along the Heilong Jiang are

and created the lakes, has the area, including the also available. At the northern

turned Wu Da Lian Chi into a freezing Crystal Palace and tip of Heilongjiang is Mohe,

volcanic spa, with geothermal Bai Long Dong (White Dragon whose main attraction is the

springs and sulphurous Cave), subterranean ice caves spectacular aurora borealis

waters that have a reputation decorated with ice sculptures (northern lights) in winter.

throughout China for their and crowded with visitors in The town records almost 22

curative powers. summer. The nearest settle- hours of daylight in June.

The 14 volcanoes at

Wu Da Lian Chi add a

measure of drama and

character to the region’s

flat terrain. To the west

of Number 3 Lake are

the two principal vol-

canic vents, Lao Hei

Shan (Old Black Hill)

and Huoshao Shan

(Fire Burn Hill). The

sites of the most recent

eruptions, which took

place between 1719–21,

both volcanoes are

popular with visitors

and can be climbed for

panoramic views of the

area. Surrounded by

fields of lava, Laohei The frozen Heilong Jiang, used for traveling through the heavily forested terrain

LIAONING, JILIN, & HEILONGJIANG 455

River Border Minorities

ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY of the shaman and animistic customs
population in Heilongjiang is and rituals. Numbering a few

Han Chinese, the River Border thousand, the Hezhen are one

is home to several minorities, of China’s least populous

including the Oroqen, Hezhen, tribes but their skill at fishing is

and Ewenki. Traditionally these legendary. The Ewenki

nomadic peoples eke out a Medicinal berries supplement their fishing and
living in this inhospitable of the Huaqiu tree hunting mainly through
environment. They rely on breeding reindeer. For all these

animal furs for clothes and local plants peoples, however, this way of life is

for medicines, and, when on the move, slowly dying out: hunting has been

even construct tents out of birch bark. banned in some of the mountain

The Oroqen are hunters, descended reserves, forcing the nomads to settle

from Khitan nomads. They speak an down as farmers, while others have left

Altaic language and are noted for their for the cities in search of an easier life.

The Ewenki are dependant on Ewenki tents traditionally have a frame made out of birch
reindeer which are well adapted poles that are covered with birch bark in summer and with
to survive in the cold climate. animal skins in winter. Practical feng shui means that the
However this nomadic and entrance is usually south-facing to
traditional way of life is slowly avoid the wind from the north.
disappearing.
The Oroqen are expert
hunters who even make
clothes from the animals
that they kill for food.

Subsidies are now
enticing some of them

to settle down as
farmers.

The Hezhen are legendary The Oroqen’s traditional hunting grounds have suffered from
for their fish-skin shirts, encroachment by industry as well as general deforestation and
trousers and even shoes. The finally by China’s newfound enthusiasm for wildlife preserves that
dried skins of carp, pike and have closed off large areas of the wilderness from hunting.
salmon are stitched together
to make waterproof items
that are highly prized.



INNER MONGOLIA
& THE SILK ROADS

INTRODUCING INNER MONGOLIA &
THE SILK ROADS 458–465

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA 466–477
GANSU & QINGHAI 478–501
XINJIANG 502–515

458 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Inner Mongolia & The Silk Roads

THIS MASSIVE REGION, forming a giant northwesterly arc
linking Siberia with Central Asia, takes up a third of
China’s area. Geographically it ranges from forest to

sandy desert to grassland, whilst ethnically these lands

are home to several Chinese minorities, notably

Mongolians, Uighur, and Hui, as well as, among others,

Russians, Kazakhs, and Kirghiz. Three provinces –

Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Xinjiang – are officially

designated autonomous regions. The main attractions

in Xinjiang and Gansu are the dusty oasis towns

of the Silk Road, replete with Buddhist cave

paintings, evocative ruins, and A monk prays at the Gao
Miao, Zhongwei
chaotic markets, whilst elsewhere ALTAI

the appeal is the beauty of China’s •

last great wildernesses.

KH IAGR AHKWOARYAM •
217
YINING
216
•

ÜRÜMQI

314 •
•
TURPAN
KUQA
•

KASHGAR

TAKLAMAKAN DESERT

KHOTAN QIEMO WAXXARI DUNHUANG • JIAYUGUAN

• • 315 • AKSAY • •

• •215

MINFENG LENGHUZHEN

315

Shigatse

• •

GOLMUD DULAN

109

214

Buddha sculpture at Bingling Si, Gansu, still retaininag some GETTING AROUND
of its original color
There are airports in the major towns
and cities, whilst the rail network is
confined to trunk routes linking
major centers. Independent travelers
will need to use local bus services,
which are comprehensive but
crowded and uncomfortable.
Because of the distances involved,
visitors are likely to focus on one area
at a time – the Silk Road, or the
Mongolian grasslands, for example.

Bactrian camels grazing near the Karakoram Highway, Kashgar

INTRODUCING INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 459

0 km 200
0 miles 200

• ERGUN

MANZHOULI

••

HAILA’ER 301

The Yellow River at Shapotou, an oasis at the edge of the 207 •
encroaching desert 111
ULANHOT
SEE ALSO
303
• Where to Stay pp571–3
• Where to Eat pp596–7 •

XILINHOT

Liaoning

Beijing
• XANADU

• HOHHOT

•

BAOTOU Datong KEY

• National highway
Major road
312 DONGSHENG Minor road
Mountain
LANZHOU HELAN SHAN
•
LINXIA • YINCHUAN
•
• 307
XIAHE •
ZHONGWEI
•
Yan’an
LANGMUSI
• GUYUAN

XINJIANG INNER MONGOLIA
& NINGXIA

GANSU
& QINGHAI

Nomads beside Qinghai Hu, the
largest lake in China

460 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

A PORTRAIT OF INNER
MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

THIS VAST REGION, COMPRISING Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu,
Qinghai, and Xinjiang, covers a significant proportion of the
total area of China. Although sparsely populated, the area’s
appeal lies in its magnificent landscape, the distinctive lifestyles of its
indigenous peoples, and its Silk Road past. This fabled route’s legacies
are visible everywhere, from historic sights to the Islamic religion.

Bordering the Mongolian However, historic cultural

Republic and Russia to the identities have been retained,

north, the Central Asian states and this, together with the

to the west, and the Indian region’s distinctive geography,

subcontinent to the south, means that Inner Mongolia

this region is now indis- and the northwest have a

solubly attached to China, as quite different character to

a result of vigorously pursued most of China. Because of

Chinese hegemony. Today, Tiled decoration this, three areas – Ningxia,

although the local population Praying Hall, Ta’er Si Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia

is largely Han, they have little – are not officially provinces

in common with the area’s indigenous but so-called Autonomous Regions,

peoples. Only the eastern portion of where the Hui, Uighur, and Mongolian

Gansu seems naturally to form part of peoples theoretically have a measure of

China proper. Gansu to the west of self-government. In practice, any

Lanzhou and the other provinces are at autonomy is superficial, though local

best indifferent to and at worst in languages are spoken and religions

uneasy thrall to the government in practised reasonably freely.

Beijing, which has often ruled with Although the communities are united

callous disregard for local sentiments. by their ethnic minority status, the

For the Chinese, there still lingers a region is by no means an organic

historic suspicion of the barbarians entity. For example, the Mongolians

living beyond the frontier marked by and Uighur are only connected by the

the course of the Great Wall. fact of their inclusion within the

Dramatic sand dunes near Crescent Moon Lake, Dunhuang

INTRODUCING INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 461

the Yellow River. Inner Mongolia,

composed of grassland, steppe, desert,

and mountain, has short, pleasant

summers but cold, windswept winters.

Historically, this area’s most significant

period was during the great days of the

Silk Road, when caravans carrying silk,

spices, and tea crossed the inhospitable

terrain, stopping at oasis towns along

the way. Centuries later, this region

became the domain of Genghis Khan,

the Mongol warlord (see p471). These

desert gardens are still markets where

local products, from raisins to saddles

and daggers, are traded just as they

have been for centuries.

The most significant Silk Road

monuments are the Mogao Caves in

Dunhuang, perhaps the greatest

Incense burner in the inner courtyard of the Gao repository of Buddhist murals,

Miao, a multi-denominational temple in Zhongwei sculpture, and manuscripts. Other

Buddhist sites such as the Labrang

political borders of China. Mongolia’s monastery in Gansu and Ta’er Si in

grasslands are inhabited by a trad- Qinghai owe their origins to the

itionally nomadic people who influence of Tibetan Buddhism.

obtain their livelihood through Besides visiting caravanserais,

the grazing of sheep and horses. grottoes, and monasteries, it is

Xinjiang, the homeland of the worth exploring the grasslands,

Turkic-speaking Uighur, on the mountains, and lakes such as

other hand, is a stony desert Qinghai Hu, as some of China’s

relieved by oases dependent last great wilderness areas can

upon an ancient but sophis- be seen here. While it is true

ticated system of underground that some of China’s prosperity

irrigation channels. The one has begun to trickle west, it will

feature that links the region is take some time before the

the extreme nature of its Statue inside the Fuxi nomads and traders give up

climate and terrain. Whilst Miao, Tianshui their ingrained habits and

much of Xinjiang is flat and culture. Thus, despite its size,

featureless, it is fringed by some of the there are only a few large cities, in

world’s highest mountains, including particular Lanzhou, provincial capital of

the Pamirs to the southwest and Tian Gansu, and Ürümqi, capital of Xinjiang.

Shan to the northwest.

At its center sits the

Taklamakan Desert, an

immense tract of sand

dunes characterized by

its name, which means

“Go in not come out.”

Summers here are

unbearably hot, and its

winters are dry and very

cold. Qinghai is a

mountain plateau whilst

arid Ningxia and Gansu

are rendered habitable

only by the presence of Tibetan nuns gathering outside their nunnery in Xiahe, Qinghai

462 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Mongols of the Steppe

IN THE 13TH CENTURY Genghis Khan (see p471) united Motorbike travel has replaced
the steppe-land tribes into a confederation that briefly the horse for many families
ruled the civilized world. Today, the Mongolian nation is and it is not unusual to see an
divided into two parts: the Mongolian Republic to the entire family astride a bike
north, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in which is just as likely to be seen
China. Traditionally, Mongols are nomadic herders who parked outside a ger as a horse.
travel and work on horseback, mostly on the vast, grass-
rich steppe. Their diet consists largely of meat and many
dairy products, including fermented mare’s milk, the in-
toxicating airaq. In Inner Mongolia, most of the Mongol-
ian minority now lead a sedentary life of farming. They
are striving, however, to keep their traditions alive, by
staging the annual Nadaam Festival, for example.

EQUESTRIAN SKILL

The key to the Yuan Empire’s success
was the Mongolians’ horse-riding

prowess. Horsemanship is still valued,
and many learn to ride before they

can walk. The sturdy Mongolian pony
remains an integral feature of life in
the countryside for nomadic herders.

The name Mongol, first used during the
Tang dynasty, referred to several tribes. This
illumination from 1350 shows that the
essential lifestyle of Mongolians changed little
up to the 20th century.

Gers (yurts)
are the traditional felt
homes of the nomads.
They are found in the
rural grasslands. Per-
manent encampments
of gers are found
closer to Hohhot.

Tied down The frame comes apart for easy trans-
skillfully to portation. The wooden poles (orange like
withstand fierce the sun) are called uni, between ten and
winds, the outer fifteen of which support each of the
and inner skins khanas, or sections of wall.
are made of
canvas, with an
insulating layer
of felt between.

INTRODUCING INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 463

The principal traditional
garment, the deel, is a long
gown tied with a brilliant
sash at the waist. It is worn
by both women and men
and comes in different
weights – lined with
sheepskin for winter,
quilted for spring, and
made of light cloth for
summer.

Colorful banners Mongolian wrestling, a favorite event
are carried by at the Nadaam Festival along with
riders at the com- equestrianism and archery, has no
petitive Nadaam
Festival. weight classes and no time limits. The
winner is the one who throws or trips his
opponent in such a way that some part

of his body touches the ground.

Leather saddles have Hardy Mongolian Buddhism is the main religion among
replaced the less comfortable pony Mongols. Tibetan influence became very strong
traditional wooden version. at the Mongolian court of Kublai Khan and by
the 16th century Lamaist Buddhist images
Inside is warm and comfortable. A stove sits found a place in every ger.
in the center of the ger, whilst the back is
reserved for the family altar and is the place DESERTIFICATION
for elders and honored guests.
The incursion of dry soil into fertile lands,
desertification, is caused by overworking
the soil and inappropriate irrigation, a ma-
jor problem in China. In Inner Mongolia,
it is severely affecting the traditional way
of life, as it destroys grazing pastures.
Poor farmers swarm to the area to harvest
facai or “get rich”
grasses removing the
topsoil’s anchoring
root-structure. Mongols
have been encouraged
to abandon the pastoral
life and settle as farmers
and so increase the
pressures on the land.

Once-rich grassland
reduced to infertile sand

464 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

The Silk Road Camel caravan crossing the
daunting Silk Road dunes
IN REALITY several ancient trading routes
between China and eastern Europe, the
Silk Road – the term was coined in the 19th
century by Baron von Richthofen – first became
busy in the Han dynasty, exposing the Chinese
capital Chang’an (Xi’an) and ultimately all of
China to the influences and styles of an alien
world. Technologically advanced, with a large
workforce, and a monopoly on some highly
A foreign – big- valued products, China was well placed to
nosed – trader benefit from a massive expansion in trade.

SILK ROAD COMMERCE

The merchants who used the Silk Road
dealt not only in spices, silk, porcelain
and jade but also in gold and silver, wool,
Arab horses, and many other commodities.
However, it was silk (see pp208–9), a
mysterious Chinese invention, that
particularly captivated the west.

This piece of silk dating from 1500 BC
was discovered in what was Bactria, today’s
Afghanistan, indicating that a network of
trading routes had been established long before
the heyday of the Silk Road under the Tang.

Rome was a major
importer of silk and
knew China as “Seres”
– the land of silk. This
gold Roman coin was
found along the Silk

Road in Xinjiang.

EMPEROR WU & GENERAL ZHANG QIAN Gold and silver
were not highly
In the second century BC the Han prized in China
emperor Wudi saw that his cavalry’s until after contact with the West. These
horses – better suited to pulling carts precious metals became fashionable in
the Tang dynasty, as shown by this
– were struggling against the fast gold teacup with Middle Eastern styling.
horses of his enemy, the Xiongnu.
Therefore he sent Zhang Qian, his This Chinese incense burner
general, to Sogdiana and Ferghana to shows that silverworking
obtain some of their legendary horses.
Although the mission failed, the techniques must have
information Zhang Qian brought made it to China
back about the riches he saw led to
the development of trade along the along with
Silk Road, and the Ferghana horses the vogue for
did eventually make it to China. precious metals.

Statue of one of Ferghana’s “heavenly horses”

INTRODUCING INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 465

The Silk Road was a Silk Roads TURKIC & UIGHUR
series of routes linking EMPIRES
China in the east with Antioch
the Roman Empire to the FERGHANA
west. The principal routes • SOGDIANA
looped south and north of
the Taklamakan Desert, to Damascus PERSIA TIBET Luoyang
join with other branches
from Siberia and India, • GANDHARA •
as they headed through
Central Asia and Persia as SYRIA •
far as the Mediterranean.
The route flourished in ARABIA Changan

periods of calm and CHINA
declined in times of war.
INDIA

FOREIGN IDEAS AND RELIGIONS

Contact with foreigners meant traders brought
back religions such as Buddhism, which

eventually became the national religion, as
well as philosophies and artistic styles.

Most artistic influences
came from Gandhara, a
center of Buddhism. The

area’s unique artistic
styles developed after its
conquest by Alexander the
Great in the 4th century BC.
This Gandharan-inspired
Chinese bust recalls the
graceful sculptures of

Classical Greece.

DETAIL FROM THE CATALAN MAP This cross is evidence
of Nestorianism in China
Made in the 14th century for Charles V of around the 8th century BC. Other religions to
France, this map gives an indication of the make it to China include Islam, Judaism, and
extent of geographical knowledge as it stood Manicheanism, a Babylonian religion based on
during the later Middle Ages. The inclusion of the opposing principles of Light and Darkness.
China was helped by Marco Polo’s account.

The period of unrest after The final decline came with the large ships of the 15th
the demise of the Tang led to century that could travel with less cost, harassment, and
a decline in trade. The Silk danger. Dwindling use saw the gradual abandonment of
the caravanserais that had been the merchants’ refuges.
Road prospered again
during the Yuan dynasty
when the region came
under the control of
the Mongol Empire.
Silk was no longer a
Chinese monopoly,
but their porcelain
was clearly the finest

pottery in the world.



INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 467

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA

THIS AREA comprises two INNER of Mongolia, Inner
autonomous regions, MONGOLIA Mongolia (now in China),
Inner Mongolia, and parts of Siberia.

stretching across northern Bordering Inner

China in an enormous NINGXIA Mongolia to the south,
arc, and Ningxia, China’s Ningxia was first established

smallest province after the island in 1928. In the 1950s, it became

of Hainan. The region’s main attrac- part of Gansu, and in 1958 was des-

tions are its great landscapes and the ignated an autonomous region for the

unique cultures of its minority people. indigenous Hui (see p475). Living in

Much of Inner Mongolia consists of pockets throughout China, the Muslim

rolling grasslands dotted with the tra- Hui descended from Arab Silk Road

ditional tents (gers or yurts) of the traders, but are now largely assimilated

nomadic Mongols. The capital of with the Han culture. Despite some

Hohhot is the most convenient place industrialization, Ningxia is a largely

to join a tour and experience their tra- undeveloped region with a smatter-

ditional way of life, while the more ing of interesting sights. At the foot of

adventurous can head north to the the scenic Helan mountains near the

towns of Xilinhot and Haila’er, where capital of Yinchuan stand the crum-

vast tracts of untouched wilderness bling tombs of the Western Xia

lie waiting to be explored. The dynasty. The Xumi Shan Caves near

historic Mongolian homeland was Guyuan are another key sight with a

made up of the independent Republic wealth of Buddhist carvings.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE Historic Sites Mangui •
Xanadu 7
Towns & Cities Mordaga •
Baotou 2 Areas of Natural Beauty •
Dongsheng 3 Xilinhot 4 Ergun • Jagdaqi
Haila’er 5 Zhongwei q
Hohhot 1 6 ~5 • Yakeshi
Manzhouli 6 Hulun
Yinchuan 8 301
Nur

Zalantun •

• Yirshi
207
Mountains, Grottoes & Caves 111Ulanhot •
Guyuan w 111Hulingol •
Helan Shan 9

Monasteries & Stupas Xi Ujimqin Qi Tongliao 303
108 Dagobas p477 0 •
•
Ejin Qi •Bairin Youqi
Abag Qi 4~
•
•
Bayan Mod •
Erenhot •

Nart • Chifeng • •Aohan Qi
Habirag
•

Bayan Obo Huade • 7

• KEY

Wuyuan Wuchuan k • Jining k International airport
• ~2 •

1

•

Horinger ~ Domestic airport
•Wuhai 3

•Otog Qi National highway

9 Major road
Minor road
~ 8 307
0
q •Zhongning

Railroad

w 0 km 250 International border
Provincial border
•

Longde

0 miles 250 Great Wall

Traditional Mongolian tent or ger on the steppes of Inner Mongolia

468 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Hohhot 1

255 miles (410 km) W of Beijing.
* 2,000,000. k 10 miles (16 km) E
of town. £ c n CITS Tongda Hotel,

Chezhan Dong Jie, (0471) 696 5978.

ASMALL BUDDHIST settlement
since the Ming era, Hohhot
became the capital of Inner

Mongolia in 1952. Although it

has expanded considerably in

recent years, the city has kept

some of its charm, visible in

traditional mud-brick houses

in the south, as well as a few

temples and an excellent Dinosaur skeletons on display at the Inner Mongolia Museum

museum. However, the sur-

rounding grasslands and the and polo equipment, and a U Great Mosque

traditional way of life they ger (portable tent used by Tongdao Nan Jie. # daily.

support are probably the main Central Asian nomads). The In the old southwestern part

interest. The greenery in museum also has an excellent of the city, the attractive Great

summer makes it the collection of fossils discov- Mosque (Qingzhen Da Si) is

best time to visit the ered in Inner and Outer best known for its fusion of

city. Hohhot is largely Mongolia, including both Chinese and Arab

inhabited by Han the complete architectural influences. The

Chinese, with a skeleton of main building, dating from the

small Mongol and a woolly Qing dynasty, is constructed in

Hui population. rhinoceros black brick, while its minaret

unearthed has a Chinese-style pagoda

E Inner from a coal roof. It is an active place of

Mongolia mine in worship, which permits non-

Museum Local fruit stall being Manzhouli Muslim visitors, especially if
they are accompanied by a
Hulunbei’er Lu. carried on a bicycle (see p474), as local Hui worshiper. The
# 9:30am–5pm daily. &
well as several

Situated in the center of the impressive dinosaur skele- mosque’s prayer area, how-

new part of town, the Inner tons. The museum’s upper ever, is reserved for Muslims.

Mongolia Museum is defi- floor is dedicated to the life The surrounding Muslim area

nitely worth visiting for an of Genghis Khan, who, in the is well worth exploring, with

insight into the history and 13th century, united the dis- its narrow alleys lined with

traditions of the Mongolian parate Mongol tribes and restaurants selling delicious

people. The museum’s established arguably the noodles and kabobs.

ground floor exhibits the largest land empire in human

paraphernalia used by the history. Some of the maps t Xilitu Zhao

nomadic Mongols, including and objects on display have Tongdao Nan Jie. # daily. &

saddles, costumes, archery English captions. A short walk south of the

Great Mosque in the old city,

the Xilitu Zhao (Xilitu Temple)

started off as a small Ming-

dynasty temple and is one of

Hohhot’s oldest shrines. This

Tibetan-Buddhist temple

became the spiritual home of

the 11th Grand Living Buddha

in 1735. Since then, it has

served as the official residence

of successive reincarnations

of the Grand Living Buddha,

who presides over Buddhist

affairs in the city. This version

of the temple was built in the

19th century, after its prede-

cessor burned down. Xilitu

Zhao was also badly damaged

during the Cultural Revolution,

but has since been heavily

Main prayer hall at the Tibetan-Buddhist Xilitu Zhao restored. It is essentially

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA 469

Chinese in style, with a few
Tibetan elements. Its dagoba
(Tibetan-style stupa), for
example, features Sanskrit
writing, Chinese dragons, and
tantric Tibetan murals that
vividly depict the horrors of
hell in gory detail. The temple
is still active and the monks
here are friendly and speak
English. They are usually
happy to show visitors around.

t Da Zhao Wusutu Zhao, Hohhot’s Mongolian temple

Tongdao Nan Jie. # daily. & t Wu Ta Si into its walls, each differing

The largest Buddhist temple # 9am–7pm daily. & slightly from the others. Inside
in the city, the Da Zhao is
located in a narrow alley just Just south of Qingcheng is a rare Mongolian cosmo-
west of Tongdao Nan Jie.
Similar in style and layout to Park, amidst the remains logical map carved onto a
the Xilitu Zhao, it was origin-
ally built in 1579, and most of the old city, the large stone, which
recently renovated during the
1990s. The shrine was dedi- Indian-style Wu Ta Si illustrates a zodiac
cated to the renowned Qing
emperor, Kangxi, in the late (Five Towers Temple) and the positions of
17th century, and murals in
the main hall commemorate is one of Hohhot’s numerous stars.
his visit. An astounding 10-ft
(3-m) silver Sakyamuni most attractive
Buddha is amongst the
temple’s many treasures. buildings. It was t Wusutu Zhao
Da Zhao also boasts an
extensive collection of constructed in 1727, 7 miles (12 km) NW of
musical instruments and
dragon sculptures, and is the as part of another Hohhot. # 9:30am–
venue for Buddhist festivals
held through the year. temple that has Guardian, 4:30pm daily. &
now disappeared. Wusutu Zhao
Founded in 1606,

The distinctive five the predominantly

pagodas surmount a solid- Mongolian-styled Wusutu

looking base that contains a Zhao includes some Chinese

smallish temple with 1,563 and Tibetan features. Inside

images of the Buddha carved the monastery there are Ming-

dynasty murals on display

as well as some intricate

woodcarvings with imperial

dragon motifs. The name

“wusutu” means “near to

water” in Mongolian. The

nearby grasslands and Daqing

mountains make pleasant

day-trips from town.

The open grasslands, traditional home to nomadic Mongols p Bai Ta

THE GRASSLANDS 9 miles (15km) east of Hohhot
# 8am–5:30pm daily.
Mongolia’s history is linked to its grasslands, and for many
people, the classic image of the Mongolian landscape is Bai Ta (White Pagoda) is a
unbroken grassy steppe spreading to the horizon. The steppe seven-storied, octagonal
provides fodder for the horses and sheep that support the structure. It was first built in
Mongolians’ nomadic lifestyle. The three grassland areas the 10th century to house
accessible from Hohhot are Xilamuren, 50 miles (80 km) Buddhist scriptures dating
north; Huitengxile, 75 miles (120 km) west; and Gegentela, from the Liao dynasty (see
93 miles (150 km) north. The easiest way to explore them is pp50–51). Over 164 ft (50 m)
by taking a tour, which includes a stay in a village of high, and made of wood and
traditional tents (gers), where visitors attend a banquet and brick, it has some striking
watch Mongolian sports. Though obviously stage-managed, carvings inspired by Chinese
they do show something of Mongolian culture. One can mythology and nature, includ-
also travel independently by hiring a horse, or negotiating ing coiled dragons, flowers,
an overnight stay in a ger belonging to a local. and birds. A winding staircase
leads to the top, from where
there are panoramic views.
Bai Ta is best reached by
taking a taxi from town.

470 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

t Wudang Zhao

# daily. &

} Resonant Sand Gorge

# daily. &

Dongsheng 3

62 miles (100 km) S of Baotou.
* 95,000. c

REASONABLY ATTRACTIVE, the
small town of Dongsheng
serves mainly as a base for

visiting Genghis Khan’s

Mausoleum (Ejin Horo Qi),

Buddhist mural outside a hall at Wudang Zhao monastery, Baotou a rather uncomfortable bus

Baotou 2 trip 30 miles (50 km) to the
Just 6 miles (10 km) south of south. It is almost certain that

Baotou lies a section of the Genghis Khan is not buried

Yellow River that inscribes a here, as his real tomb is

105 miles (170 km) W of Hohhot. * huge northerly loop enclosing thought to lie in the Hentei
1,225,000. ~ £ from Beijing. c an area called the Ordos, Mountains near Ulan Batur in
n Baotou Hotel, (0472) 515 4615. which was not conquered by the Republic of Mongolia.
the Chinese until the Qing era. However, scholars believe

THE LARGEST CITY in Inner The irrigation projects that this site
Mongolia, Baotou was made possiblle by the contains a few relics

once an arid and undevel- Yellow River have of the Great Khan,

oped region, inhabited by made this area a and it has grown

Mongolian herders of sheep fertile oasis. There is into a place of

and horses. Today, it is an little to see besides pilgrimage for many

industrial community, made the river, but its Mongolians. The

up largely of Han Chinese, sluggish progress mausoleum consists

with a visible Mongol through the flat, of three conjoined

presence. The town is divided cultivated landscape Plaque in four halls, each echoing

into three principal areas – is impressive. scripts, Wudang Zhao the shape of a ger

Donghe, the oldest part of South of Baotou is (Mongolian tent)

town lies to the east, while the the great Gobi, a desert that decorated with murals. The

western area consists of Qing- stretches across the northern middle hall has a large statue

shan, the main shopping reaches of Inner Mongolia and of Genghis with a map of his

district, and Kundulun, the the Republic of Mongolia. The empire. Some of the halls are

industrial hub. While Qingshan Resonant Sand Gorge, 37 bedecked with hangings, and

resembles any modern Chinese miles (60 km) south of Baotou, contain gers, altars, and other

town, with its tower blocks is filled with sand dunes, some religious paraphernalia. Special

and array of shops, Kundulun of which soar 295 ft (90 m) ceremonies are held here four

is a depressing leftover from high. Visitors slip and slide on times a year to honor Genghis

the Communist era, with large, the dunes, and its name refers Khan, attracting pilgrims from

bleak squares, and no sign of to the sound made by the all over Mongolia.

greenery. Donghe, a pleasant falling sand. Paragliding and

quarter of streets lined with camel rides are also available, P Genghis Khan’s

mud-brick houses and their and a chairlift shuttles visitors Mausoleum

cluttered courtyards, lends from the main road. # 8am–7:30pm daily. &

color to this fairly drab city.

ENVIRONS: The region’s best- Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum, a place of pilgrimage for Mongolians
preserved Lamaist monastery,
Wudang Zhao lies 43 miles
(70 km) northeast of Baotou
in a tranquil valley. Built in
1749 in the Tibetan flat-roofed
style, it quickly became an
important place of pilgrimage,
and was home to several
hundred monks belonging to
the Yellow Hat Sect. It houses
a collection of Buddhist
murals from the Qing era.

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA 471

Genghis Khan

BORN IN 1162 to the head of The secret of his success was the
the Kiyat-Borjigen tribe, skilful use of cavalry and the

Genghis Khan (or Chinggis toughness of the Mongolians

Khan) was given the name who could survive on very

Temujin. A born fighter, as a little. Their dietary needs

teenager he killed his half- were met either from their

brother and in 1206 he was Genghis Khan’s statue horses or from the country-
proclaimed Genghis Khan from his mausoleum side. Genghis died in 1227,

(meaning universal king). He before the capture of Peking,

unified Mongolia’s warring fiefdoms after falling from his horse. In fact it

into a huge army of up to 200,000 was after his death that the Mongol

warriors that invaded China and much armies made most of their conquests,

of Asia, and eventually created one of but it was thanks to his organization

the greatest land empires in history. and determination in the first place.

Kiev Ulan Bator Genghis Khan was
MONGOLIA a supreme organizer
Samarkand
Baghdad Beijing and tactician. He
Delhi CHINA also created the first
Mongolian code of
Shanghai law, the “Yasak,” and
promoted the growth
Hong Kong
of trade between
China and Europe.

Mongol Empire Mongolian bow’s Lance for close-
unique shape gave quarters fighting
The empire of Genghis Khan’s successors at it a better range
its greatest extent shown on a modern map than standard bows.

THE MONGOLIAN WARRIOR Mongolian horses The cavalry were
were small but supreme horsemen
This Persian picture, painted 100 years after sturdy.
Genghis Khan’s death, shows him fighting and able to fight
the Tartars. The key to Mongolian success on the move.
was their horsemen. They were disciplined,
mobile, and heavily armed, and their ferocity
and skill were unmatched at the time.

Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum is perhaps
reminiscent of a Mongolian ger or tent.
After his death his body was carried by

thousands of his followers and taken back to
Mongolia. The site of his burial is unknown.





474 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

The vast expanse of the Hulunbuir grasslands around Haila’er

Xilinhot 4 an expanse of rolling plains swans, geese, and cranes come
threaded by rivers and inhab- to nest. The tourist office orga-
310 miles (500 km) NE of Hohhot. ~ ited by herds of sheep and nizes grassland tours, where
from Beijing. £ to Erlianhot, then bus. horses. Tours are arranged by visitors can stay in gers (tents).
c from Hohhot, check with PSB if a the tourist office.
permit is required. n Baima Fandian, Xanadu 7
(0479) 822 3592. Manzhouli 6

SITUATED right in the heart of 116 miles (186 km) W of Haila’er. £ 280 miles (450 km) NE of Hohhot. 8
the province’s grasslands, from Haila’er & Harbin. c from Haila’er.
Xilinhot’s main draw is a visit n 35 Erdao Jie, (0470) 622 8114. arranged by tourist office in Xilinhot,
to the Mongolian wilderness,
inhabited by nomadic sheep FOR LONG INHABITED only by Baima Fandian, (0479) 822 4448.
herders in their muchang jia nomads, the border town
(pastureland homes). The of Manzhouli became a per- CLOSE TO INNER Mongolia’s
tours available here are quieter manent settlement in 1901, as border near Duolun lie the
and cheaper than the ones a stop on the Trans-Manchu- remains of Yuanshangdu or
around Hohhot. Independent rian and Trans-Siberian rail- Xanadu, the site of the leg-
trips can also be organized ways. Steam locomotives can endary palace of Kublai Khan,
through private tour agents. still be seen in the shunting grandson of Genghis Khan
yards at Zalainuo’er. Russian (see p471). One of China’s
Haila’er 5 influences are still apparent in greatest emperors, Kublai
the architecture, mainly the Khan and his magnificent
219 miles (350 km) NE of Xilinhot. ~ wooden cottages with painted summer palace were exalted
from Beijing & Hohhot. £ from Har- shutters and stucco buildings in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s
bin, Qiqihar & Beijing. c n Beiyuan in pre-Revolutionary style. The poem which begins with the
Hotel, Shengli Jie, (0470) 822 4017. main attraction, however, is lines “In Xanadu did Kubla
Dalai Hu or Hulun Nur to the Khan a stately pleasure-dome
CLOSE TO THE Russian border, south. Surrounded by marshy decree.” The palace was aban-
Haila’er is Inner Mongolia’s grasslands, it is one of China’s doned by the Khan during his
northernmost town. This small largest lakes, where migratory lifetime, and eventually crum-
settlement on the banks of the bled. There is little left to see,
Amur River is a good base for but those who wish to visit can
visiting the grasslands in sum- contact Xilinhot’s tourist office.
mer. The town’s main sight is
the network of tunnels used Manzhouli, the last stop in China on the Trans-Manchrian railway line
by the Japanese army during
World War II. Built by Chinese
prisoners, they were used as
defensive bunkers along
Haila’er’s northwestern ridge,
which marked the western
boundary of Japan’s advance
into China. Beyond Haila’er lie
the Hulunbuir Grasslands,

Repetition of Buddha images on the walls of Wuta Si, Hohhot

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA 475

Yinchuan 8

326 miles (525 km) SW of Hohhot.
* 929,000. ~ 15 miles (25 km) SE of
Yinchuan. £ c n (0951) 672 7898.

SITUATED IN THE NORTH of
Ningxia, in the lee of the
Helan mountains, Yinchuan is

well protected from the harsh

desert climate, and makes a

good base from which to

explore the surrounding

sights. Watered by the Yellow

River, this lush and leafy city

was the capital of the little-

known Western Xia Kingdom

from around the 11th century

onward, which has left few The stately Gulou (Drum Tower) in Yinchuan’s old town

traces of its short existence

except for a set of dagobas, of the Drum Tower, Gulou Jie to records, the 177-ft (54-m)

and a handful of imperial is the heart of the city’s busy tower, also known as the

tombs located 12 miles (20 shopping district and is lined Northern Pagoda (Bei Ta),

km) outside the city (see with department stores. was first built in the 5th

p476). This mysterious West of Gulou Jie stands century AD. It was rebuilt in

dynasty materialized in the the 13-story, octagonal Xi Ta the 18th century in the

early 11th century, in the area (West Pagoda), built within original style, after an earth-

north of Han China. Follow- the grounds of the Chetian quake destroyed it in 1739.

ing a period of expansion Temple. Originally built in the It is an unusually angular

from AD 982 to the 1030s, the 11th century, the temple structure, with ledges and

Western Xia empire included houses the Ningxia Provin- niches at every level. It is

all of modern-day Ningxia, as cial Museum which has a worth making the climb to

well as parts of large collection of the top of its nine stories, as

Shaanxi, Gansu, Western Xia there are terrific views across

Qinghai, and artifacts. The the city to the Yellow River

Inner Mongolia. museum also and Helan mountains.

Although the displays splendid

Chinese consid- items from the P Gulou & Yuhuang Ge

ered them bar- Silk Road era, and Jiefang Jie. # 8:30am–5pm daily. &

barians, they Sign advertising a fortune has a section on E Ningxia Provincial

achieved a teller outside Haibao Ta the indigenous Hui Museum & Xi Ta

considerable people. Followers Jinning Nan Jie. # 9am–5pm daily.

level of sophistication, partly of Islam, the Hui originally & separate fees for the temple

through the assimilation of descended from Arab and grounds, pagoda, & museum.

Tang culture, until their king- Persian traders from the Middle U Nanguan Mosque

dom was sacked by the East, who came to China dur- Yuhuangge Nan Jie. # daily. &

invading Mongols in 1227. ing the Tang and Yuan eras.

Today, Yinchuan is a Southeast of the museum,

pleasant and lively city, with close to the bus station, is the

a handful of interesting things South Gate (Nan Men) which

to see. It consists of two resembles a miniature version

parts, the new town (Xin of Beijing’s Tian’an Men. A

Cheng) to the west near the short walk southwest of Nan

railway station, and the old Men, Nanguan Mosque is a

town (Lao Cheng), 4 miles (7 modern building constructed

km) east, where the city’s in 1981 to replace the original

main bus station and most of 1915 shrine. It is an active

the sights are located. place of worship that caters to

Jiefang Jie, the old town’s Yinchuan’s Hui population.

main thoroughfare, has two Unlike most mosques in China,

well-restored, traditional it has hardly any Chinese

Chinese towers. One is the features, and is built in a distinct

large Gulou (Drum Tower), Middle-Eastern style. In the

while farther east lies the northern reaches of the old

Yuhuang Ge (Yuhuang town, the ancient Haibao Ta

Pavilion), which dates back to stands in the grounds of an The 1,500-year-old Haibao Ta in

the Ming dynasty. Just south active monastery. According northern Yinchuan

476 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

originally built for Buddhists,
but somehow developed ecu-
menically, which is reflected
in the welter of well over 200
chapels and rooms. Rebuilt
several times, the temple, in
its present form, is an inter-
esting amalgamation of
architectural styles.

ENVIRONS: About 9 miles

(15 km) west of Zhongwei, the

spectacular resort of Shapotou

lies on the banks of the Yellow

River, between riverbank vege-

tation on one side, and the

The striking Xi Xia Wang Ling (Western Xia Tombs) in Helan Shan striking sand dunes of the

Helan Shan 9 Zhongwei q desert, on the other. Accessed
by minibus from Zhongwei,

the Shapotou Desert Research

Center was founded in 1956

12 miles (20 km) W of Yinchuan. c 106 miles (170 km) SW of Yinchuan. to reclaim fertile land from the
or taxi. n Yinchuan Tourist Office, £ c n Zhongwei Travel Service, desert. It has met with some
success, as seen in the groves
116 Jiefang Xijie, (0951) 504 8006. Yixing Dajiudian, (0953) 701 2620. of trees and surrounding culti-

LOOMING OVER Yinchuan, THE PLEASANT town of vation. It is now a resort,
about 12 miles (20 km) Zhongwei lies between offering camel rides and trips

to the west, the 11,667-ft the Tengger Desert to the down river on traditional rafts

(3,556-m) high mountain north and the Yellow River to that are kept afloat with

range, Helan Shan, has some the south. This small settle- inflated sheep skins. Sand

interesting historical ment can easily be sleds are available to rent for

places to visit. At the explored on foot or those who wish to speed

foot of its eastern by cycle-rickshaw. down the sand dune slopes.

slopes lie the Xi At its center lies a

Xia Wang Ling, traditional Drum t Gao Miao

the royal tombs of Tower (Gulou) Gulou Bei Jie. # daily. &

the Western Xia dating to the Ming P Shapotou

dynasty (1038–1227). era. Zhongwei’s # 8:30am–5pm daily. &

Spread over a large main sight is the Guyuan w

area, these crumbling Painting on upper 15th-century Gao

but still impressive pavilion, Gao Miao Miao, a rather

mounds commem- bizarre temple

orate the 12 Xia kings. The which serves Buddhists, 286 miles (460 km) NW of Yinchuan.
Gunzhong Pass, farther Daoists, Confucianists, £ c Xumi Shan Caves c from
west, makes for pleasant and Christians alike. It was
hikes in the surrounding hills Guyuan to Sanying, then taxi.

if the weather is fine. Located IN THE SOUTHERN part of
5 miles (8 km) north of the Ningxia, Guyuan serves

pass are the 39-ft (12-m) twin as a base for visiting the

pagodas, Baisikou Shuang Xumi Shan (Treasure

Ta, decorated with Buddha Mountain) Caves, 31 miles

statues. Nearby, at Suyu (50 km) to the northwest.

Kou, are hundreds of rock Set in dramatic sandstone

paintings, of uncertain age, hills, these Buddhist

depicting animals and human grottoes – numbering

figures. These sights can well over a hundred – are

all be visited in a day relics from the greatest era

by hiring a minibus or car of the Silk Road, mostly

from Yinchuan. the period covering the

Northern Wei, Sui, and

P Xi Xia Wang Ling Tang dynasties. They

22 miles (35 km) W of Yinchuan. contain more than 300

# 8am–7pm. & well-preserved Buddhist

statues, the most famous

108 Dagobas 0 being a colossal Maitreya
(Future) Buddha, which

Carved entrance of the multi-denom- stands 62 ft (19 m) high

See p477. inational Gao Miao, Zhongwei in Cave 5.

INNER MONGOLIA & NINGXIA 477

108 Dagobas 0 VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

SET IN THE DESERT near the town of Qingtongxia Zhen, 50 miles (85 km) S of Yinchuan.
the 108 Dagobas stand in twelve gleaming rows, c or £ from Yinchuan to

Qingtongxia Zhen, then minibus

spread out in a perfect triangular formation overlooking or taxi. # daily. &

the Yellow River. A Buddhist monument, it is not clear

exactly what their purpose is. Traditionally it has been Parasol
protects
thought that they were placed here during the Yuan from evil The highest
Dynasty (1279–1368) but recent thinking is that there reality
may be some link to the Western Xia Empire. 108 is a

significant number in Chinese numerology: there are

108 prayer beads in a Buddhist rosary – the same

number of possible sins or worries. The thirteen steps

to enlightenment

Main part
represents the
primeval mound

Sometimes
hollow – used
to store relics

. Hillside Location Base represents
Impressive as the dagobas are, a good reason the earth
for visiting them is to get out in the quiet
surrounding hills and do a bit of walking. . The Dagobas
Here you can find quiet temples at the Like the Indian stupa, the
top of some testing steps as well as dagoba is a deeply symbolic
some inspirational graffiti. icon. In early Buddhist art,
Buddha was never shown in
human form, instead a stupa
became his symbol.

VIEWING THE DAGOBAS WESTERN XIA EMPIRE

The best view is from a This mysterious dynasty materialized in
boat on the river – if the the early 11th century when they
water level is high enough. established the Great Xia empire in the
The site is in excellent area north of what was Han China.
condition as a result of an Known as Tanguts – and probably from
over-zealous restoration. Tibet – they were briefly strong enough
to build up a small empire and force
STAR FEATURES
Western Xia Coin tribute from the Song rulers in China.
. Hillside Location However, they were so thoroughly

. The Dagobas defeated by the Mongols in 1227 that little evidence of their
existence remains except for some coins, books, and a
famous stele covered in their feathery script (now in Xi’an).



INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS 479

GANSU & QINGHAI

FOR CENTURIES, Gansu and Qinghai Lying between Gansu
were regarded as frontier and Tibet, Qinghai is a
provinces that marked the vast mountain plateau

outer limits of ancient inhabited by a mere 5

China. A harsh and rugged million people. In

region, Gansu connects every respect – cultur-

the Chinese heartland with QINGHAI GANSU ally, historically, and

the vast desert regions to the geographically – it is part of

northwest. The Hexi Corridor, running the Tibetan Plateau, and was once the

750 miles (1,200 km) between two Tibetan province of Amdo, becoming

mountain ranges and dotted with part of China only in the 18th century.

oases, formed a link between China Due to its remoteness, it has been

and the West. The Silk Road passed used as the site for several prison

through here, as did the Great Wall, camps for political dissidents. The

and later, the region’s only railway province, however, abounds in natu-

line. The Yellow River flows through ral beauty, with lush valleys around

Lanzhou, for centuries a major stop the capital of Xining, and miles of

along the Silk Road. To the southwest unspoilt wilderness around Qinghai

lies the Tibetan town of Xiahe and its Hu, China’s largest lake. It also houses

splendid Labrang Monastery. In the des- one of the country’s greatest Tibetan

ert landscape northwest of Lanzhou lamaseries, Ta’er Si, and provides

are two great historical relics – the access into Tibet from Golmud and

mighty Ming fortress of Jiayuguan and Xining across some of the highest

the cave art at Dunhuang. mountains in the world.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities Mountains, Caves & Lakes Monasteries & Temples
Dunhuang w Bingling Si 7 Ta’er Si pp500–1 r
Golmud i Luomen 2 Xiahe 4
Langmusi 3 Maiji Shan pp480–1 1 KEY
Lanzhou 6 Mengda Tian Chi y ~ Domestic airport
Linxia 5 Qinghai Hu u
Pingliang 8 Major road
Tongren e Gongpoquan
Wuwei 9 Minor road
Xining t •
Zhangye 0 Railroad

International border

Historic Sites Provincial border

•

Jiayuguan Fort w Anxi 312 Great Wall

pp492–3 q 215 ~ Yumen • q•Jiuquan
~ •Gaotai
Lenghuzhen
0 Shandan
• • •Minqin

• • Changweiliang
Youshashan
• Da Qaidam• 315 Obo• 227 9
Mangnai Tianjun
Delhi
•Tianzhu
215 •• ~ Jingyuan Huanxian
214 t
Ulan • • •

Boluntay • u ~

i Dulan • Gonghe • r 76
109 ~ y
8•
• Huashixia e5 Longxi Jingchuan
4
Wudaoliang • •

Henan • 2• 1
Maqên • Tianshui
Togton–heyan • 3

Zhidoi • •Qingshuihe • Gadê •
Wenquan • Sogruma
Huixian
•
Wudu •

• Baima • Wenxian•

Yushu 0 km 200

• 0 miles 200

Nangqên

Colossal statue of the Maitreya Buddha, also known as Jampa, at Ta’er Si, Qinghai

480 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Maiji Shan 1

THE SITE OF ONE of China’s most important Maiji Shan, said to resemble a
groups of Buddhist carvings, Maiji Shan corn rick or haystack from afar
(Corn Rick Mountain) rises up spectacularly
Cave 5,
like Sumeru, the holy mountain of Buddhist Calf Hall
myth. It is likely that the first sculptures were
made around the end of the 4th century AD,
and work continued up to the Qing dynasty.
Buddha’s It therefore provides an invaluable insight
disciple into the development of Chinese Buddhist
artistic style. Almost 200 caves survive and are reached by
a series of precipitous stairways. However, many of the
best caves are closed to visitors and the gloomy interiors
have to be viewed through grilles, so bring a flashlight.

Cave 135, Cave
of Heaven

. Colossal Buddha: Cave 98
This finely worked 53-ft (16-m) high statue
of Amitabha Buddha is portrayed attended by
two smaller statues of Avalokitesvara. The move
away from classical Indian-style Buddha
sculptures is clearly evident here.

WORKING WITH CLAY Cave 133 is actually a STAR SIGHTS
tomb and home to many
Because of the friable nature of sculptures and engravings. . Colossal Buddhas
the stone at Maiji Shan, many It is considered one of the . Gallery Views
of the statues were not hewn most exquisite holy caves.
out of the rock but modelled
from clay stuck onto a wooden
frame. Although they are not as
well preserved as a result, they
are more lively
and with more
detail than
similar carvings
in the Buddhist
caves at, for
example,
Dunhuang. There
are a few stone
statues at
Maiji Shan,
but these have
been carved
from specially
imported rock.

Statue showing details

of dress and hairstyle

GANSU & QINGHAI 481

Upper Seven VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Buddhas: Cave 4
The upper gallery of Buddhas 28 miles (45 km) SE of Tianshui.
includes this magnificent § (0938) 223 1075.
Song-dynasty guardian. The ª @ from Beidao, Tianshui.
cave complex itself is said to # 8:30am–5:30pm. & for an
have been built by the local additional large fee, the closed
governor Li Yunxin, as early caves may be opened. 8
as the sixth century. included in entry fee. ^

Cave 3, Thousand
Buddha Corridor

. Colossal Buddhas: Cave 13
These huge statues originally

date from the Sui dynasty and
were then repaired during the

Ming dynasty. The myriad
holes around the statues
were probably used to
support a protective
framework.

Middle Seven Buddhas: Cave 9
These figures show a transitional
phase between Indian-influenced

sculpture and later Song-era figures,
with pure Chinese characteristics.
The statues are well-proportioned
and slim in stature, with realistic
drapes to their clothes.

Cave 43, is the
tomb of a Wei-
dynasty empress.

. Gallery Views
There are excellent views
across the countryside from
the network of walkways on
the cliff face of Maiji Shan. If
time allows, a hike around
the Botanical Garden at the
foot of the cliff is recommended.

482 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Xiahe 4

Rock carvings at Lashao Si, Luomen, depicting Sakyamuni Buddha 175 miles (280 km) SW of Lanzhou. c
_ Monlam (Great Prayer) Festival
Luomen 2 Langmusi 3
(Feb/Mar).
155 miles (250 km) SE of Lanzhou. 170 miles (270 km) S of Lanzhou. c
£ c Water Curtain Thousand PERCHED AT A HEIGHT of 6,860
Buddha Caves c minibus from from Lanzhou, Linxia or Xiahe to ft (2,090 m) in a mountain
Luomen. & valley at the edge of the
Hezuo, then direct bus to Langmusi. Tibetan plateau – that is now
THE SMALL TOWN of Luomen a part of Gansu – Xiahe is a
serves as a base for visit- REMARKABLE FOR its unhurried significant Tibetan monastery
ing the Water Curtain pace, the remote mountain town that attracts many
Thousand Buddha Caves, town of Langmusi is inhabited devout Buddhist pilgrims to
situated in a spectacular gorge by a mix of Tibetan, Hui, and its Labrang Monastery every
in the nearby mountains. Han Chinese. While the hills year. As a result the town’s
Remote and accessible only offer miles of unspoilt country population is a mix of Hui,
by a rough road, which is with trails for walking and Tibetan, and Han Chinese.
actually a riverbed, the caves riding, several active temples
cannot be reached in bad dot the town. Built in 1413, Xiahe’s location offers many
weather as the road becomes the Dacheng Lamo Kerti opportunities to explore the
unusable. The main attractions Gompa is the place of wor- surrounding grasslands
are a 98-ft (30-m) Sakyamuni ship for several hundred preferably on horseback,
(the Historical Buddha), monks, who study astrology although cycling is an option
carved into a rock face, and and medicine, apart from for some. The town itself
Lashao Si, a temple built into Tibetan Buddhist theology. comprises a single street,
a cave in the mountainside Traditional sky-burials, where running along the Daxia River.
that has paintings and carv- the dead are left for birds of The commercial part of town
ings dating from the Northern prey, also take place here. is at the eastern end; the
Wei dynasty (AD 386–534). However, visitors are not per- Labrang Monastery is in the
Visitors can reach Luomen by mitted to view the last rites. center; while the Tibetan
bus or train from Tianshui, quarter is at the western end,
or from Lanzhou. t Dacheng Lamo Kerti offering glimpses of the
Gompa Tibetan way of life. This town
is worth a visit, especially for
# daily. those not going to Tibet.

ENVIRONS: Lying near Sangke
village, 5 miles (10 km) west
of Xiahe, is a lake surrounded
by the Sangke grasslands, used
by nomads for grazing their
yaks. This huge area of grass
and flowers can be accessed
by road, although a fee is
charged. Another 19 miles
(30 km) north lie the even
more vast and picturesque
Gancha Grasslands.

Breathtaking alpine scenery around Langmusi

GANSU & QINGHAI 483

Labrang Monastery VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

THE MOST IMPORTANT CENTER of the Yellow Hat Xiahe 160 miles (260 km) SW of
Sect (Gelugpa) outside Tibet, the Labrang Lanzhou. c Linxia, Lanzhou or
Tongren. # 8am –noon, 2pm–

Monastery (Labuleng Si) attracts Tibetan 6pm daily. ¢ Nov–Feb. &
pilgrims in their thousands. As a result of the 8 required for the main temple.
Cultural Revolution the monastery was closed _ Monlam Festival 4th–16th of
until 1980 and the number of monks reduced
the 1st Lunar month (see pp44–5).

from 4,000 to about 1,200 or less. Set in an

auspicious location with the Dragon mountains in a long line that encircles the

to the north and the Daxia river to the south, monastery. Spinning these

the impressive monastery buildings are joined was, and still is, a way for the
largely illiterate Tibetan
Labrang by a haphazard maze of alleways that makes people to pray.
monk it a fascinating place to wander around.
Within the prayer wheels

stands the Gongtang Pagoda,

the study of scriptures or south of the main road. At

sutras, eighteen Buddha nearly 100-ft high (31-m) it

temples, offices for the comprises five levels topped

Living Buddha and many with a gold colored stupa

hundreds of residences containing thosands of sutras

for the monks. The and Buddha statues. You can

monastery is also an climb up to the upper level

academic institution and get an oustanding view

and holds an over the monastery and

assortment of around town. Parts of Labrang can

60,000 sutras and only be visited as a mem-

specialized books. ber of a tour group,

The large halls are although much of the

colleges for the monastery can be freely

monks to study explored. There are a

a variety of couple of tours in

degrees such English each day. Visi-

as mathematics, tors, of course, should

astronomy, be sensitive to the reli-

medicine and gious nature of the site.

Main prayer hall, Labrang Monastery other more Xiahe is also famous

esoteric subjects. for its Monlam festival.

Exploring the Labrang The Grand Sutra Hall Witnessed by thousands

Monastery is the most impressive who have come from all

This monastery was founded of the buildings and Senior Yellow over the country, a huge
in 1709 during the forty-eighth can hold up to 4,000 Hat monk thangka of Buddha is
year of the reign of the Qing monks. It is an eerily unfurled and sanctified

Kangxi emperor by a local impressive sight to see the on a screen to the south of the

monk, E’Ang Zongzhe. He monks chanting here each Daxia River. There follows

became the first generation morning as they wait to go in several days of festivities

Living Buddha, or Jiemuyang, and pray. Labrang also has a including processions, musical

who ranks third in the Tibetan multitude of prayer wheels set performances, and dances.

hierarchy after the Dalai and

Panchen Lamas. The monas-

tery’s buildings came through

the Cultural Revolution

relatively unscathed, but

in 1985 a fire seriously

damaged the Grand Sutra

Hall, which has subsequently

been fully restored. Today the

sprawling monastery complex

dominates the town. It is

actually impossible to see

where the town stops and the

monastery begins, they are so

inextricably woven together.

The monastery is built in

a typical Tibetan style and

consists of six grand halls for View over the monastery with the gleaming Gongtang Pagoda to the left

484 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Lanzhou 6

Bunches of noodles tied up and ALARGE INDUSTRIAL CITY and Gansu’s
ready for sale, Linxia capital, Lanzhou has for long been the
key transport link between the Chinese
Linxia 5 heartlands and the Northwest. It was an
important stop on the Silk Road at the
beginning of the Hexi Corridor, and is
thus culturally closer to the Northwest
Elephant than to Central China. The Yellow River
drum flows through the center of the city, and
for centuries Lanzhou was the principal point for
crossing the river. In fact, until the 19th century, a
bridge created by chaining together a flotilla of boats
was used. The first iron bridge was built in 1907.
Although most of the attractions lie well
away from the center, Lanzhou offers good
food, shopping, and an excellent museum.

62 miles (100 km) SW of Lanzhou. a1
* 140,000. c from Lanzhou. (
a ZHBORNIDGGSEHAN
APLEASANT PLACE for ambling
leisurely through streets BINHE ZHONG LU N
bustling with locals, Linxia
has a predominantly Muslim West Bus c N XI HU ZHONGSHLUAN
character, defined by the Station GONGYUAN
resident Hui minority. It was
once a stopover for travelers XIJIN DONG LU
passing between Lanzhou and
the South Pass along the Silk 2 KEY BA
Road. The town is still a good
place to break the journey 0 meters £ Train station LU
between Lanzhou and Xiahe. 0 yards IYIN
However, it offers very few
attractions aside from its c Long distance bus station
numerous mosques. The most 800
prominent is the large and
impressive Nanguan Mosque, a Cable car
just off the main square.
800 n Tourist information
Linxia’s appeal lies in its
colorful markets and pleasant N Post office
teahouses. The markets are
lined with shops selling carved Yellow River flanked by the lush Baita Shan Gongyuan & Lanzhou city
gourds, carpets, and saddlery.
Most interesting are the local Y Baita Shan Gongyuan hill’s summit. Steps have been
spectacles, made from ground carved into the steep slopes,
crystal lenses fitted into metal # 6am–6pm daily. & while the walkways are dotted
frames, which many elderly with teahouses, mosques, a
men can be seen wearing. At To the north of the river, near plant nursery, and assorted
the top end of Jiefang Nan Lu Zhongshan Bridge, is Baita pavilions. Chairlifts take
in the south of town is the Shan Gongyuan (White visitors to the top from inside
delightful night market with Pagoda Hill Park). It takes its the park, or from town, on
numerous stalls stocked with name from the 13th-century the other side of the river.
aromatic curry-flavored pagoda, Bai Ta, which was
breads (bing) and huge piles built as part of a temple at the
of noodles – fresh and dried.

Linxia is also a center for
the Dongxiang minority, who
speak their own Altaic lan-
guage, and are supposedly
descendants of 13th-century
immigrants, who moved here
after Kublai Khan invaded their
homelands in Central Asia.

GANSU & QINGHAI 485

E Gansu Provincial Also worth seeing are the VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Museum bronze chariots, with horses 425 miles (680 km) W of Xi’an.
* 3,000,000. ~ Lanzhou
Xijin Xi Lu. # Mon–Sat. & and attendants, from a Airport, 56 miles (90 km) N of city.
£ Lanzhou Train Station. c
This museum is set in tomb in the same CAAC (buses to airport), East Bus
Station, Private Bus Depots, Main
an old Soviet-style area, as well as a Bus Station, West Bus Station. n
2nd Floor, Tourism Building, Nong-
building west of fine collection of min Xiang, (0931) 881 3222.

town. The ground Yangshao pottery Wuquan Shan Gongyuan

floor has a natural dating from the # 6am–5pm daily. &

history section late Neolithic Also set in the south of town,
the Wuquan Shan Gongyuan
with a mammoth period. Other (Five Springs Hill Park)
resembles a traditional gar-
skeleton found in the relics include Silk den, with its weathered rocks,
cascading streams, elaborate-
Yellow River in 1973. Road carvings, wooden shaped doorways, and myriad
pavilions, and is pleasant
Captioned in English, the spills, statuary, and enough to wander around in
for a while. The hill is said to
history section upstairs writing tablets. In the be the place where the Han
general, Huo Qubin, quartered
is best known for Flying Horse statue at garden, a mock his cavalry as he mounted an

the striking 2,000- Lanzhou’s train station tomb recreates

year-old bronze burials in the

Flying Horse, with its hoof Jiayuguan area in the late

resting on the back of a swal- 3rd and early 4th centuries.

low, that was discovered in an Finally, a large exhibit com-

Eastern Han tomb in Wuwei. memorates the Long March.

Lanzhou Airport

Yellow River BINHE LU

BINHE DONG LU JINGNING LU JINCHANGJINCHANG LU NANCHANG LU TIANSHUI BEI LU
LU3
N PING LIANG LU n
QINGYANG LU
ZHANGYE LU CAAC c

DONG GANG XI LU

ZHONGSHAN LU GAOLAN LU PING LIANG LU

JIUQUAN LU c East Bus TIANSHUI LU
Station

DING BEI LU

MINZHU XI LU c Private Bus
Depots
4 LANZHOU CITY CENTER
c Main Bus Gateway designed as a quatrefoil
Baita Shan Gongyuan 1 Station
Baiyi Si 3 moon in Wuquan Shan Gongyuan
5 Gansu Provincial Museum 2 £ Lanzhou
Lan Shan Gongyuan 5 Train Station expedition to the northwest.
Wuquan Shan Gongyuan 4 According to one legend, he
cut at the rocks until the
t Baiyi Si Y Lan Shan Gongyuan water he needed for his
horses and men gushed forth.
Baiyi Si, with its temple and # 8:30am–5pm daily. & Of the several temples on the
site, Chongqing Si dates
accompanying stupa, was South of the city, Lan Shan back to 1372, and houses an
iron bell cast in 1202.
built during the Ming dynasty Gongyuan (Lan Shan Park) Despite its venerable origins,
modern materials like
(1368–1644). It is situated just can be reached by chairlift concrete have been used
several times in building the
a few hundred feet from Wuquan Shan temple, and it is now an
artistic blend of Soviet and
to the east of busy Gongyuan. It is a traditional Chinese design.
Another one of the oldest
Jinchang Lu, on the 20-minute ride to buildings in the park, the
Ming-dynasty Jingang Palace
north side of the top, which is a houses an impressive, 16-ft
(5-m) bronze Buddha,
Qingyang Lu. pleasant place to reputedly cast in 1370.

The small temple’s escape the summer

unusual location, Ornamental door knob, heat. Popular at
dwarfed by the Rui Yuan Si, Wuquan Shan weekends, it is a

towering and great spot to watch

swanky department stores of the sunsets, as well as the city

Lanzhou’s main shopping lights at night. An amusement

district, makes it appear park and several eateries are

strikingly out of place, and also located here. A trail leads

worth a visit for this alone. to Wuquan Shan Gongyuan.

486 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

the reservoir. Autumn is
usually the best time of year
to visit Bingling Si, but it is
best to check with other trav-
elers before arranging a trip.
It is a two-hour bus journey
from Lanzhou to the reservoir
and dam, followed by a
three-hour boat trip to the
caves, passing through some
beautiful countryside with
fishermen busy at work, and
wheat and rice being culti-
vated on the riverbanks.

The enormous seated Buddha carved into a cliff, Cave 172, Bingling Si Pingliang 8

Bingling Si 7 that are among the oldest and

56 miles (90 km) SW of Lanzhou. c to best preserved in China. Most 155 miles (250 km) SE of Lanzhou.

Liujia Xia Reservoir, then boat to caves. of the other caves were £c
# in season, when the water level in
reservoir is high. & 8 from Lanzhou. completed during the Tang

THE MAGNIFICENT GROUP of era. The most impressive HIDDEN IN the hills in a
Buddhist caves at Bingling cave, No. 172, has an 89-ft mountainous region near
Si (Bright Spirit Temple) is
one of the most intriguing (27-m) high seated statue of the Gansu-Ningxia border is
sights in Gansu. Buddhism
arrived in China along the Maitreya (the Future Buddha). the sleepy town of Pingliang.
Silk Road, and these caves are
among the earliest significant There are also four clay Surrounded by beautiful
Buddhist monuments in the
country. Carved into sheer pagodas and another one peaks, some of which rise to
cliffs, the caves stretch for
about a mile (1.6 km) along carved from stone. heights of 6,890 ft (2,100
a 196-ft (60-m) high gorge.
Isolated by the waters of the Work on the sculp- m), it remains one of
Liujiaxia Reservoir on the
Yellow River, the splendid tures continued long the least-visited parts
sculptures and paintings were
saved from damage during after the Silk Road of the province, and
the Cultural Revolution, and
remain in surprisingly good had lost its impor- is mostly used as a
condition. Known as the
Thousand Buddha Caves, tance, and there are convenient base for
there are in fact, only 183 of
them, of which 149 can examples of work exploring Kong-
be more appropriately
described as niches. from the Song, Carved stele, Kongtong tong Shan, a

The caves were created Ming, and Qing Shan, Pingliang Daoist monastery, 6
about 1,600 years ago during
the Northern Wei and Western dynasties. The miles (10 km) west
Jin dynasties. It is believed
that the artists hung down the paintings reached their height of town. Perched dramatically
cliffs on ropes, and chiseled
out sculptures into the rock- during the Song and Ming on a clifftop of the same
face. The style of work is
similar to the Buddhist caves dynasties, although there are name, the monastery lies
at Datong and Luoyang. Most
of the caves contain rock-cut some older and comparatively close to a glittering lake and a
statues, clay sculptures, and
colorful frescoes. One of the cruder paintings dating back few other temples scattered
earliest caves, No. 169, dates
to AD 420, and contains a to the Tang period. across the landscape. The
Buddha and two Bodhisattvas
Getting to the caves can be surrounding area is excellent

slightly uncertain, as access for taking long walks across

depends on the water level in the lush green hills.

Kongtong Shan’s lush north peak, Pingliang

GANSU & QINGHAI 487

The Spread of Buddhism

BUDDHISM’S ESTABLISHMENT in China immigrants from Central Asia from
was a long process and the the 1st century onwards. In China,

date of its arrival is uncertain. Buddhism surged in popularity

The earliest sign of the religion during periods of instability, when

in China is associated with the Confucianism’s veneration for

foundation of the White Horse authority did not sit well with the

Temple (see p152) during the populace (see p30), and it was

Han dynasty near the imperial Stone Buddha eventually adopted by China’s

capital of Luoyang. Based on statue rulers. The Mahayana School

the teachings of Buddha who (see p31) took hold in China,

lived in northern India during the 6th breaking into different sects, such as

century BC, Buddhism was probably the Chan sect, which gained a large

disseminated along the Silk Route by following in Japan as Zen Buddhism.

CHINA KOREA The Great Goose Pagoda
JAPAN in Xi’an was built for
the monk Xuanzang in
INDIA AD 652 to house the
sutras he brought back
Mahayana Buddhism started in India in the first century from India, a pilgrimage
AD, finally spreading to Japan, via China, around AD 600 .
immortalized in
Journey to the West
(see p29). He spent
the remainder of his
life translating the
sutras, aiding the
spread of Buddhism.

The caves at Dunhuang
(see pp496–7), served as the
last stop on the Silk Road for
pilgrim monks on their way

to India. The frescoes and
carvings, which celebrate
the spread of Buddhism and
date from the 4th to the 11th
century, are amongst the
most important early Bud-

dhist works in China.

Guanyin, the female Bodhisattva of
Compassion, was originally the male deity
Avalokitesvara. This sex change is one
way the Chinese adapted Buddhism
to suit their needs. Guanyin became
the patron of motherhood and is the
most worshiped figure in China.

The early Tang dynasty
was a time of Buddhist
renaissance, with the

religion gaining imperial
patronage. In the 9th

century, however, rebellions
provoked a period of
Buddhist suppression.





490 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Wuwei 9

140 miles (225 km) NW of Lanzhou.
£c

LYING BETWEEN Lanzhou and
Zhangye, this small town is
where Gansu’s most celebrated

relic, the bronze Flying Horse,

was discovered in 1969. Found

in an Eastern Han tomb in the

grounds of Leitai Si, a few

miles north of town, the Flying

Horse is now in the Provincial

Museum in Lanzhou, and its

symbol can be seen all over A traditional incense burner in the grounds of Dafo Si, Zhangye

Wuwei. The tomb, a series of

empty passageways, houses Ming era. South along Nan Jie around Jiayuguan. About

replicas of its original relics lies Tu Ta, a former Buddhist 4 miles (6 km) north of the

and is open to visitors. monastery featuring a large fort is Xuanbi Changcheng

Other sights are the brick stupa. Also nearby is the (Overhanging Wall), a

Luoshi Ta, off Bei Dajie, Dafo Si, which houses the restored section of the wall

and farther east, the old largest reclining Buddha in dating to the 16th century,

Bell Tower with pleasant China in its hall. that once linked the fort to

gardens. To the south is Lying 37 miles (60 km) the mountains. In the same

Wen Miao, a museum south of Zhangye, in the area, the Hei Shan rock

set in the grounds of a Tibetan town of Mati, carvings depict scenes from

temple. The South is Mati Si, a fascinat- daily life during the Warring

Gate (Nan Men) has ing complex of States period. Situated 4 miles

been reconstructed A view of the stupa Buddhist caves (6 km) south of town is the

and adds a little old- at Dafo Si carved into a cliff. First Beacon Tower, a

world grandeur to a desolate outpost that marks

rapidly-changing town. Jiayuguan q the start (or end) of the
western part of the Ming-

E Wen Miao dynasty Great Wall. About

# 8:30am–6pm daily. & 12 miles (20 km) east of town

475 miles (765 km) NW of Lanzhou. are tombs from the Wei and

£ c from Dunhuang. Jin eras (220–420 AD), whose

Zhangye 0 TRADITIONALLY REGARDED as bricks are painted with cele-
China’s final outpost, the bratory scenes. The Qilian
Shan peaks, 75 miles (120 km)

last point of civilization before to the south, cradle the 14,110

280 miles (450 km) NW of Lanzhou. the desert, Jiayuguan is visited ft (4,300 m) Qiyi Bingchuan

£c mainly for its Ming-era fort (see (July 1st Glacier), reached

pp492–3). Within town, the by a combination of train,

ONCE A STOPOVER on the Great Wall Museum docu- taxi, and foot.
Silk Road, Zhangye has ments the history of the wall

several sights of interest. At from the Han to the Ming eras. E Great Wall Museum

its center is a Ming-era Gulou Exhibits include photographs Xinhua Nanlu.

(Drum Tower), with a large of remote sections of the wall # daily. &

bell. To the east, Daode as well as scale models.

Guan is an active Daoist Several other sights lie

shrine also dating to the

The 16th-century ramparts of Xuanbi Changcheng (Overhanging Wall), Jiayuguan
Jiayuguan Fort, the farthest outpost safeguarding the civilized world of the Ming dynasty

GANSU & QINGHAI 491

The Great Game

THE “GREAT GAME” was the name, (Xinjiang) the Muslims broke free
popularized by Rudyard of China and set up the state of

Kipling in Kim, of the covert Kashgaria in 1863 under Yakub

war fought by the Russian and Beg. The Russians invaded the Ili

British empires for influence in Valley and, when China took

the deserts and mountains of Xinjiang back in 1877, negotiated

Central Asia at the end of the 19th to establish consulates in the area.

century. Afghanistan was the first Rudyard The British response was to set
target for these two great empires Kipling up a trade mission in Kashgar and

and both sides vied for influence, take a more aggressive approach

with the British eventually succeeding in Tibet. In 1907 the stand-off ended

in establishing a sympathetic regime in with the Anglo-Russian Convention,

1880. Meanwhile in Chinese Turkestan which clearly defined territorial limits.

RUSSIAN Sher Ali (1825–79), the
EMPIRE son of Dost Mohammed
who fought the British
• Kashgar CHINESE in the first Anglo-Afghan
AFGHANISTAN EMPIRE War, allowed entry to a
Russian diplomatic
BELUCHISTAN INDIA mission, but turned
back a British one. This
BRITISH TIBET sparked the second
EMPIRE NEPAL Anglo-Afghan War,
after which the British
placed Abdur Rahman
on the throne in 1880.

Central Asia was where the Russian, British
and Chinese empires touched. The British,
fearful of the Russian threat to India, wanted
to cultivate a buffer zone around its frontier,
using Afghanistan, Kashgaria and Tibet.

The Pamir Mountains held the passes that The Open Mouth (1899), a Punch cartoon,
Alexander the Great and Timur (Tamerlane) shows the British Lion and Russian Bear trying
had used to invade India. Russian advances here to get their hands on a scared Chinaman. China,
in 1885 and 1896 led to the mobilization weakened by internal strife, was repeatedly
of British troops, but treaties establishing forced to sign unfair treaties handing over land
new frontiers prevented war both times. and allowing the superpowers to establish trade
missions that were used to spy on the other side.

Tibet became involved when Britain
placed it in China’s sphere of influence.
In response Tibet refused to acknowledge
British attempts to set up a trade mission,
resulting in the attack on Gyantse in

1903 (see p543) by Younghusband.

492 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

Jiayuguan Fort q

AT THE WESTERN EXTREMITY of the Great Wall Detail inside tower
stands the Jiayuguan Fort, dominating As shown by these
the stony plain that separates two mountain wooden doors, the
ranges. Built of tamped earth in 1372, in interiors of the towers
the distinctive, embattled Ming-dynasty were beautifully painted
Corner style, it was dubbed the “Impregnable in typical Ming style.
wall tower Defile Under Heaven.” It was of enormous
strategic importance as it controlled the only military
and trade link between China and the deserts of Central
Asia. The frontier lay some way further west, but for
the Chinese Jiayuguan was the last outpost of civilisation,
beyond which lay barbarian country, a place of perdition,
fit only for exiled officials and banished criminals.

Trap Court
This was used to lure
the enemy into a place
from where they could be
attacked from above. It
also served as a holding
bay for caravans.

Jiayuguan Men is
three stories high
with typical Ming-
style upturned eaves.

“Gate of Sighs”
was once inscribed
with the sorrowful
graffiti of those
leaving China.

. Fort Walls Rou Yuan Men
Built of tamped earth and or Gate of
bricks, the mighty 35-ft (10-m) Conciliation
high walls were designed to
be accessed by horses via Corner Towers gave
ramps that lead from the protection to archers
gates to the battlements. The while they fired on
total length of the walls is the attacking troops.
about half a mile (750 m).
STAR SIGHTS

. Fort Walls

. Guanghua Men

GANSU & QINGHAI 493

. Guanghua Men VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Rising 56 ft (17 m) above
the fortress walls, the gate 3 miles (5 km) W of Jiayuguan.
tower was originally com- § (0937) 639 6058. ª # July–
pleted in 1506, although Oct: 7am–10pm daily; Nov–Jun:
like the others it has been 8am–8pm daily. & includes entry
extensively renovated. to the Great Wall Museum.

Accommodations Guandi Temple
for the generals This provided spiritual
and their families.
nourishment for the
troops. The temple would

have offered a mixture
of Buddhist, Daoist, and

Confucian ceremonies.

Wenchang Hall
This served as the official
meeting point for visiting

dignitaries coming from
the interior of China.

Outer wall
of the fort

Inner Wall Old Theater
This is fortified by a This was a later, Qing-dynasty,
6-ft (1.8-m ) parapet addition to the fort and was used
and embrasured towers. for entertaining the troops
stationed both at the fort and at
garrisons along the Great Wall.

End of the Great Wall of China
The wall stretches out either side of
the fort closing off the plain. The
wall is made of tamped earth, a
raw material in ready supply in
the desert.

494 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

A camel ride across the dunes at Mingsha Shan, Dunhuang

Dunhuang w Just 3 miles (5 km) south ENVIRONS: About 12 miles (20

of Dunhuang is Yueya Quan km) southwest of Dunhuang

(Crescent Moon Lake), a small lies Dunhuang Gucheng

~ £ Liuyuan, 80 miles (130 km) to freshwater lake that has been (Dunhuang Ancient City), a
the north, then bus. c n John’s a vital source of water here film set built in the 1990s that
for thousands of years. It lies was never dismantled. Its
Information Café, 22 Ming Shan Lu, adjacent to the Mingsha Shan location and panoramic views
are impressive, but it is rather
(0937) 882 7000. (Singing Sand

ASMALL OASIS town, Mountains), which dog-eared on closer inspection.
Dunhuang once tower several hun- However, the set has become

prospered as the last dred feet high. The a regular tourist stop with

stop on the Silk Road dunes were named souvenir stores and even

before it split north after the noise made accommodations in yurts.

and south to skirt the as the grains of sand Lying 50 miles (80 km) west

Taklamakan Desert. Printed textiles, are crunched under of Dunhuang are two Han-

It is a pleasant Dunhuang market foot. For some dynasty gates, Yu Men Guan

settlement that has remarkable views, (Jade Gate Pass) and Yang

achieved a certain level of visitors can climb the dunes – Guan (South Pass). Separated

prosperity, primarily through preferably in the cool of the by 3 miles (5 km) of desert,

acting as a base for visiting evening. There is also a range they were once linked by the

the famous grottoes at Mogao of activities, including para- Great Wall. Abandoned over

(see pp496–7), a short distance gliding, sand tobogganing, 1,000 years ago and under

away. The town caters for its and camel rides. A small folk constant attack by the desert,

foreign visitors and has several art museum lies nearby. the two towers remain quite

restaurants and budget hotels. Situated in the middle of impressive. The huge cube of

The only items of interest at fields about 2 miles (4 km) the Yu Men Guan with its

the Dunhuang County west of Dunhuang is the 33-ft (10-m) walls is the

Museum (Xian Bowuguan) nine-story Baima Ta (White only discernible man-made

are a few Chinese and Tibetan Horse Pagoda). This Tibetan- structure in sight.

manuscripts, from Mogao’s style dagoba was

famous Cave 17, which built in memory of

escaped the looting of a horse belonging

explorers and archeologists. to the monk,

The museum also has exam- Kumarajiva, who

ples of traditional silks and came from the Silk

domestic items found near the Road kingdom of

beacon towers that were once Kuqa (see p509).

part of China’s outermost line The horse died

of defense. There is a souvenir here in AD 384.

night market every summer

evening along the town’s main E Dunhuang

thoroughfare, Dong Dajie. The County Museum

range of items on sale includes Yangguan Dong Lu.

leather shadow puppets, § (0937) 882 2981.

Chinese scroll paintings, jade # 9am–5pm daily. &

items, coins, Tibetan horns, } Yueya Quan

and Buddha statues. # 8am–5:50pm daily. Yueya Quan and Mingsha Shan dunes, Dunhuang

DUNHUANG 495

Race for the Silk Road Oases

ASCHOLARLY REFLECTION of the However, they did remove vast
political rivalry between the quantities of priceless works of art,

great powers at the end of the 19th to the eventual annoyance of the

century was the race between a Chinese government. These are

group of explorer-archeologists to now scattered in museums around

locate (and plunder) the lost the globe. Initial interest in the

towns of the Silk Road. Between region by the British was based

them, they succeeded in on strategic considerations (see

uncovering a huge number of p491); then, as stories of lost

long-forgotten, desert-scoured cities emerged, the interest of
Tang musician, antiquarians around the world
towns. These pioneers
furthered the knowledge of Dunhuang was aroused. Controversial

life along the Silk Road and saved though they were, their excavations

many items from further degradation. captured the world’s imagination.

Tales of buried cities being Sven Hedin (1865–1952),
uncovered by sandstorms emerged from Sweden, was the
at the end of the 19th century. The
Gaochang Ruins, discovered by first of many government-
von Le Coq, were found to have sponsored adventurers to
been a major Buddhist and
Nestorian center (see p465). explore these isolated
regions. The others were
Albert von Le Coq from
Germany, Count Otani
of Japan, Paul Pelliot of

France, Sir Aurel Stein
from Great Britain,

and Langdon Warner

from the USA.

This Buddha’s head came from the
Bezeklik Caves, discovered by von Le Coq
in 1904. These caves held some beautiful
murals protected over the years by the
encroaching sand. Von Le Coq simply cut
them from the walls and sent them home to
Germany. Unfortunately, the murals were
destroyed by bombing during World War II.

This silk painting is from
the Mogao Caves, which
were reached by Aurel Stein
in 1907. He befriended the
Abbot, Wang, and gained
access to the newly
discovered silks and
manuscripts of Cave 17.

This fresco of a bodhisattva
and other wall paintings at the
Mogao Caves were considered

sacred, so the collectors could
not remove them (see p496).
But Stein and the others negoti-
ated with Abbot Wang to carry
off thousands of historic items.

496 INNER MONGOLIA & THE SILK ROADS

The Cave Paintings of Dunhuang Cave 275: Sixteen Kingdoms
366–439 This early cave of the
PROTECTED BY THEIR RELATIVE ISOLATION, the cave Northern Liang Period is dedicated
paintings at Dunhuang form the most fascinating to the Maitreya or Future Buddha,
repository of Buddhist art in China. For over 700 who is depicted in wall paintings
years, between the 4th and 11th centuries AD, and statues.
Buddhist monks excavated and painted these
caves, until invasion and the encroachment of Islam
brought work to a halt. The paintings were all but
forgotten until 1907, when the explorer Sir Aurel
Stein stumbled across the caves and the Daoist
priest who guarded them, Wang Yuanlu. Among
the many thousands of items uncovered by Stein
is the Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest printed
book (in scroll form), and many of the patterns
used by the monks to reproduce paintings at will.

Cave 272: Sixteen Cave 254: Northern
Kingdoms 366–439 Wei 439–534 This cave
These Devas (Buddhist shows stories of Buddha’s
angels) are in rapture early life, including the
as they listen to the Sacrifice of the Prince.
Buddha’s teaching. The murals are richer
in content than in
earlier caves and the
artwork has become
more accomplished.

Cave 249: Western Wei Cave 428: Northern Zhou 557–580
535–556 On the north Stories of the good prince, an earlier
wall there is a wonderfully incarnation of Buddha, abound.
lively hunting scene Here he offers himself to a starving
showing the backward- tigress so she may feed her cubs.
shooting hunter – a feat
only made possible with
the invention of the stirrup.

Cave 419: Sui 581–618 Under the short- Cave 420: Sui 581–
lived Sui dynasty, China was reunified 618 This fresco portrays
with both the north and south adopting a journey on the Silk
Buddhism as their religion. This harmony Road, the route via
allowed the development of a more Chinese which Buddhism came
artistic style and was a highly fruitful time to China, as well as
for Dunhuang. This cave portrays the good pictures of buildings
prince on a hunting trip with his brothers. in a style of which no
real example survives.