Travel
to India, China and Southeast Asia
THE SILK ROAD: A Journey along the Legendary Trade Route through China and Central Asia with Dr. DiBlasi
A
Journey along the Legendary Trade Route
through China and Central Asia
The
name “Silk Road,” introduced to the intrepid
traveler’s vocabulary over a century ago by the Swedish
explorer Sven Hedin, conjures up images of desert caravans,
lush oases, snow-capped mountains, and colorful markets
where exotic goods change hands amid the cacophony of even
more exotic languages. Where many destinations promise enchantment
and adventure, travel on the Silk Road through China is
one of the few that really delivers.
Join
us for an exciting 19-day tour along this most ancient of
Eurasian trade routes. Traveling by plane, train, bus, jeep,
and camel, we will visit such legendary sites as the Thousand
Buddha Caves of Dunhuang, where Chinese, Tibetan, Indian,
and Mediterranean religion and art met and mixed in the
first millennium AD; the oasis town of Turpan, with the
ruined city of Gaochang and the spectacular murals at the
Bezeklik caves nearby; Kashgar, home of Central Asia’s
most fabulous bazaar; and archaeological ruins from 2,200
years ago at Kucha and Khotan, remote outposts of the Han
dynasty keeping lonely vigil still on the rim of the formidable
Taklamakan desert. The tour includes sightseeing in the
old Tang capital of Xi’an and an imperial-style banquet
in Beijing. It’s sure to be the trip of a lifetime.
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The east is the historic heartland of China and the cradle of its civilization, and more than half of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located here. Far Horizons proudly presents a 20 day trip, beginning in Beijing and wending our way south until we reach Shanghai, which includes 14 of the 26 cultural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, along with four others on the UNESCO Tentative List. From the Ming tombs in Beijing to the sacred mountain of Huangshan, to the canals and gardens of Suzhou to the Taoist temple complex at Wudangshan, we immerse ourselves in the history of this region. Along the way, we visit the famed Longmen Buddhist Grottoes and the startlingly well preserved ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun.
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Join Study Leader Ed Krupp on an expedition to Mongolia, China, and Korea that will cross the eclipse path near Shanghai, for nearly six minutes of totality, practically a lifetime in the world of total eclipse. While in Mongolia, caravan over grasslands and steppes in search of the celestial myths, living traditions, and ancient ruins of the empire of Chinggis Khan, and encounter a little of the legacy of the celebrated Mongol horsemanship at the Naadam Festival horseraces in Ulaanbaatar. After the eclipse in China, continue to South Korea and its spectacular UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Hwaesong Fortress, Kyongju City, and Bulguksa Temple. You don’t want miss this unusual itinerary, an eclipse trip like no other.
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Angkor
Thom, capital of the flourishing Khmer empire in the 11th
century, was one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
An incredible mass of dazzling pagodas grew up around
Angkor Thom, culminating in the glory of the magnificent
temple complex at Angkor Wat.
With the fall of the Khmers, the temples were slowly
recaptured by the lush forest and remained a hidden legend
until 1861 when they were re-discovered and introduced to
the western world.
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India
is a country that creates sensory overload with its copious
smells of incense, cacophony of extraordinary sounds, appetizing
cuisine and drinks, and visual wealth of ancient architecture.
The colorful and varied costumes, the cornucopia of varied
scenery, and convoluted
cosmologies makes this country one of the most intricate
and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth. Home to one sixth of the world's
population and the world's largest democracy, India presents
a full and diverse culture, and an intoxicatingly rich history.
India is a
juxtaposition of old and new with centuries of history -
from the pre-historic Indus civilization to the British
Raj – and all rub shoulders with the computer age and Bollywood,
where a profusion of films are made each year. India's history
goes back five thousand years to when Hinduism was first
founded. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism. Zoroastrianism,
Christianity and Islam all exist peacefully within this
huge country today.
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