The Xinjiang section of the Silk Road
Historical map of the Xinjiang section of the Silk Road: the northern route of the Tianshan Mountains, the central route of Kucha, and the southern route of the Kunlun Mountains, linking the ruins of Loulan, Gaochang, Kucha, and Hotan and how to travel them today.
Three Routes of the Corridor
After leaving Dunhuang, the Silk Road splits into three routes between the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains: the northern route along the northern foot of the Tianshan (Hami—Urumqi—Ili), the central route via Kucha (Turpan—Kucha—Kashgar), and the southern route along the northern foot of the Kunlun (Ruoqiang—Hotan—Shache).
Site Map
Loulan (deep in Lop Nur, entry requires special permission), Gaochang and Jiaohe (Turpan), Kizil and Subash (Kucha), Niya and Yotkan (Hotan), Stone City (Tashkurgan) — most of these are normally accessible.
How to Travel Today
Seven days are enough for the essence of the central route (Turpan—Kucha—Kashgar); fourteen days allow traveling both north and south (the desert highway connects the central and southern routes). Visit museums first: the silk brocades and mummies at the Autonomous Region Museum are the best preparation.