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Reuters
Friday September 14, 7:23 PM

XI'AN, China (Reuters Life!) - Once one of the world's main commercial arteries, the Silk Road still holds an immense attraction for the thousand of travellers who now chart its course in search for adventure rather than trade.

Here is a list of the major stops:

XI'AN:

Xi'an, a 14-hour train journey south west of Beijing, was the official starting point for the great trade caravans heading towards Central Asia and Europe, and remains a good place to start your journey.

It was one of the ancient capitals and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was the largest city in the world.

Xi'an is one of the few remaining Chinese cities to retain its city walls and they're best viewed by bicycle around the top. Cycle around the 14 km circumference, stopping off at the various towers. The entire journey can be covered in 90 minutes.

Xi'an is also where the famed Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging for water. The warriors, complete with arms and war horses and arranged in battalions, are the star attraction at a huge museum outside the city.

For an authentic meal, stop off at East Street in the Muslim quarter where local delicacies of mutton broth and noodles, hotpot, kebabs, dried fruit and nuts are all available to eat in the open-air restaurants.

DUNHUANG:

A two-hour flight northwest of Xi'an takes you to Dunhuang in Gansu province. The city was a key trading post along the Silk Road and was ruled by Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols and finally Chinese. Today, the city is popular for its Mogao Caves which date back to the 4th century and which contain some of the most beautiful Buddhist art in China. The art illuminates a time when Dunhuang was a major centre of Central Asian cultures and the main contact point between China and the rest of the world. The caves are located in a tiny valley oasis surrounded by sand dunes about 25 km from the city.

The more adventurous can ride a camel on a pre-dawn climb to the crest of the massive sand dunes and watch a stunning desert sunrise. To get down, slide on an inflated tyre -- it cuts the half-hour climb into a few minutes.

TURPAN:

Take the overnight sleeper train to Turpan in the far western region of Xinjiang, home to the Uighur Muslims. The oasis town is famous for its vineyards and Flaming Mountains, which glow red in the heat. The Bezeklik Buddha caves is a pre-Islamic site nestled close to the mountains. A popular tourist attraction is the Karez irrigation system, a series of wells and tunnels that use gravity to bring water from the mountains to create an oasis. The open-air food stalls in the centre of town brings the city alive at night when locals come out to eat in the market place. Street snooker is also a very popular pastime.

KASHGAR:

At this point tourists can either take a 21-hour train journey or a two-hour flight to Kashgar near the western most tip of China but desert winds often make the choice for you: if the wind is too strong the train will not leave and all surrounding roads will be closed until the storm blows over.

Kashgar was one of Genghis Khan's first conquests around 1205 and one of its main attractions is the Id Kah Mosque, built in 1442 and one of the largest in China. One of the most colourful sights in Kashgar is the Sunday animal market just outside the town. Uighur, Han Chinese, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Pakistani and Afghan men can be seen buying and selling goats, cattle, camels, mules, sheep while women and children help drag out animals. Open-air barbers use blades to shave the heads and faces of the men who take a break from trading, while local bakers cook bread in earthen ovens.

TASHKURGAN:

A scenic nine-hour drive along the Karakoram highway, which runs from Kashgar to Islamabad, takes you to the final destination of the Silk Rooad in China -- Tashkurgan. The wide streets and snow capped mountains surrounding the town make the views stunning but the cold can be numbing.