The Silk Road has been a popular subject over the past few years for authors of children’s books. Already at Heritage Key, we have reviewed Stranger on the Silk Road, written by Jessica Gunderson, as well as We’re Riding on a Caravan by Laurie Krebs and Helen Cann, part of a series of country- and culture-based books from Barefoot Books. From the same publisher, then, comes Stories From the Silk Road, a beautifully illustrated collection of folk tales taken from and inspired by the ancient trading route.
We’re Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road follows one family as it journeys from the ancient Chinese city of Xi’an, west along the famous trading routes of the Silk Road. It's a journey of discovery and colour and culture for new readers aged from three or four.
With their camels heavily laden with their wares, it takes them three months to reach Lanzhou, and they arrive just as the first leaves of autumn are falling. Here, they trade silk for wool, and also buy a supply of fruit and vegetables to eat, and a second stash to sell later on.
Six months into the journey they arrive in Dunhuang, with towns and villages giving way to a desert oasis amid the sand dunes. More silk is sold, and rice is traded for bread.
After a harsh month in the desert, they make it to Hami, though they are sick and cold from winter’s bitter winds. They rest in Hami, feeding on goat-head soup for several days while they muster the energy to continue.
In 2003, Professor Marika Vicziany, director of the Monash University Asia Institute in Australia, and director also of the National Centre For South Asian Studies, pioneered a groundbreaking project to record and preserve Kashgar's little documented heritage sites.
A key goal of the project was to write and release a book about the region's people and their cultural heritage. It was hoped the book would encourage and promote tourism to the area, thus boosting cultural awareness, the local economy and infrastrusture.
That book, Kashgar: Oasis City on China's Old Silk Road, has now been released in the West, with Chinese editions to follow. It carries essays by the academics George Michell and Yen Hu Tsui, as well as by Professor Vicziany; it features photographs by John Gollings.
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The first objective should be the training of local cultural tour guides who have a sophisticated understanding of the history and culture of the region
Chang'an (which translates as "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese) was an ancient capital of over ten dynasties of ancient China. As a key hub of the Silk Route, from around 1 AD it was one of the leading cities on earth. At its peak, it was one of the largest and most populous cities in the world - by 750 AD, around 800,000-1,000,000 people were estimated to live within its city walls alone.
Submitted by Michael Kan on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 11:17
Although each of the Terracotta warriors was sculpted to be unique, one common physical trait they all share is a beard. But a new discovery has found that a handful of statues bear no facial hair, suggesting that the Terracotta army had teenaged soldiers enlisted in its ranks.
The Terracotta Army was built at the behest of China's first emperor more than 2,000 years ago, when beards were a must for all adult males. To have one was a matter of respect, and one way of dealing with criminals at the time was cutting off their beards as a form of punishment.
Back in August, I covered the news that Electronic Arts is to release the latest in their popular The Sims games - The Sims 3: World Adventures. Speculating on what may be offered in their foray into Egypt, the games publishing giant has been steadily releasing small details to whet our appetites! They're still a little late (and not as factually correct - but this is just a game!) as we launched our King Tut Virtual exhibit many months ago, but no harm in a little fun, right?
David Oakley's photostream is a complete joy to scan through, just for the beautiful simplicity of the effects he applies to his photographs in Adobe Lightroom to give such a unique style. I've selected an image of the Terracotta Army Museum in Xi'an, China to represent exactly how gorgeous this technique turns out.
It looks as if it's been inked out on paper, such is the power of post-processing software these days - it's incredible the various effects that can be achieved given talent with a computer and graphics editing software. Anyone can be an artist without ever needing to pick up a pencil!
Of course it'd take a while before we can reach David Oakley's sort of skill, but they do say practice makes perfect!
Senior Curator at the Museum of the Qin Terracotta Army and Heritage Key expert, Janice Li, gives us a list of her top sites at the First Emperor'stomb site. Having conducted and led archaeological excavations at the site over the past 20 years, she knows the area like the back of her hand, and shares some insights into one of the most fascinating finds in recent decades!
Submitted by Michael Kan on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 19:04
Come to Xi’an, and you’ll no doubt head straight to see the city’s famous Terracotta Warriors exhibit, or the mausoleum of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. You might make the trip out to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Maoling Mausoleum, and check out a couple of the museums, such as the Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an Banpo Museum and the Xi’an Museum.
But there’s a lot more to Xi’an than these, admittedly stunning, sites. The ancient capital also has a stash of hidden treasures. Here’s a handful of my favourites.
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Back in August, 
David Oakley's photostream
Come to Xi’an, and you’ll no doubt head straight to see the city’s famous 
