Introducing Southern Silk Road
The Silk Road east of Kashgar splits into two threads in the face of the huge Taklamakan Desert. The northern thread follows the course of the modern road and railway to Kuqa and Turpan. The southern road charts a more remote course between desert sands and the huge Pamir and Kunlun ranges. The ancient route is marked by a ring of abandoned cities deserted by retreating rivers and encroaching sands. Some cities, like Niya, Miran and Yotkan, remain covered by sand; others, like Yarkand and Hotan, remain important Uighur centres.
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While there are no spectacular sights, the journey takes you about as far into Uighur heartland as you can get. It’s possible to visit the southern towns as a multiday trip from Kashgar before crossing the Taklamakan Desert to Ürümqi, or as part of a rugged backdoor route into Tibet or Qīnghǎi.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Turpan to Hotan - Take cross desert highway or southern silk road??
by kashgarguidecom 29 August 2011
there is a direct bus from Turpan to Hotan which goes through desert highway. The bus station in Turpan is in Daheyan, i don't know specific…
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Turpan to Hotan - Take cross desert highway or southern silk road??
by KathyUK 27 August 2011
Hey everyone, I'm arriving in Turpan tomorrow and after a few days there i will continue on to Kashgar. I will definitely visit Hotan,…
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RE: Best starting point for silk road trip
by CentralAsia_traveler 14 January 2011
I agree with #6 that one should not simply count on maps for this route, and I agree that the Southern Silk Road is not anything like…
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