About the Silk Road, the sericulture and silk cultivation are first developed between three and five thousand years ago in the Yellow River region that forms Chinese traditional heartland. From here, it spread east to Korea and Japan and south to Vietnam, but most famously west, along the ancient trade route that would come to bear its name. Today, the section of the Silk Road that lies within Chinese frontiers encompasses almost half of the fabled caravan route that joined ancient China with Greece and Rome, and passes through some of the wildest and most spectacular sceneries on earth.

Winding Route of Silk Road
The Silk Road started from historic city - Xian. From Xian, it winds west through the spectacular gorges of the Wei River and the rich yellow soil of Chinese vast loess region to the old garrison city of Lanzhou, at the eastern end of the Hexi Corridor. Hemmed in to the north by the barren wastes of the Gobi Desert and to the south by the permanently snow-covered peaks of the Qilian Shan, it passes from oasis to oasis through Gansu Province until it reaches Yumenguan, the jade Gate that traditionally marked the western limits of China proper. Here, the Silk Road splits into northern and southern branches as it enters Chinese largest province - Xinjiang Province. The Silk Road continues west, passing along the northern and southern rim of the Tarim Basin which forms one of the most extraordinary geographical features anywhere on earth. As its center lie the impenetrable shifting sands of the Taklamakan Desert, while to the south, north and west stand serried ranks of snow-capped mountain ranges, Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan and Pamir, all names redolent with the mystique of ancient Silk Road.

Sightseeing of Silk Road on Suburb Area
Just around the Tarim Basin, squeezed in the narrow piedmont plain between mountain and desert, lie a series of fertile, poplar-lined oasis, fed by the icy runoff from distant glaciers. Linked by the Silk Road like beads on the thread, they have served for millennia as halting places for long-distance caravans and are home to a succession of different people. Different mountains, deserts and oasis are all exhibited in these suburb areas adding much natural tastes to ancient Silk Road.

Silk Road is busy but more spectacular on the whole journey. If you are interested, Silk Road tour is waiting for you!

Hailed as one of the three primitive sites in Tibet, Karuo Ruins are well worth exploring for those history buffs who are interested in Tibetan history.

Overview about Karuo Ruins
Karuo Ruin Site is located in the Changdu County southwest of the Tibet autonomous region. As a late Neolithic cultural site, the ruins date back to 4000 to 5000 years ago. Karuo Ruins were discovered in 1978, the first site discovered in Tibet area including more than 20 units of cultural relics found in the Neolithic site, covering a total area of about 10000 square meters. It is one of the three major cultural sites of the original archaeological circles in Tibet. The ruin site area is well preserved to this day, rich in relics. Unearthed items include pottery, stone, bone - experts also found a large number of carbonized corn and animal bones. 12 kilometers south of Changdu, in the Lancang River, Karuo ruin site sits on the terrace, 3100 meters above sea level. Karuo site boasts as the highest Neolithic site across China. The two excavation sites house 28, 7968 pieces of stone tools, bone tools 366, pottery more than 2 pieces, 50 pieces of ornaments, corn, animal bones, etc.

Archaeological value of the Relics
Karuo Ruin Site is a national key cultural relics protection unit, sitting near the upper reaches of the Lancang river as Chinese Neolithic site. The site is divided into early and late two sections, housing 28 house foundations. Round bottom housing, after the restoration, it is a conical shack architecture built with interior column and the surrounding inclined column. Semi underground style houses are built with four masonry walls, and in the upper floor built with another building, showing local characteristics and construction technology of the time. Pottery to decorative geometric patterns carved marks the most characteristic of architectural art back in the day. Experts also found plenty of crop millets and livestock remains. At the time, the primitive Tibetan people made living by regular hunting. In the unearthed sites more than 20 houses have been found, there are also many ancient people used stone tools and cereals, animal bones, which have important value on the study of the early history of Tibet. Karuo ruins were discovered in 1977. In the summer of 1978, the site was excavated with exposed area covers 230 square meters. In 1979, the site conducted second excavations, exposed area of 1570 square meters.

Overall, Karuo Site is not to be missed while visiting Tibet!

Tibet is filled with incredible landscapes which can be found all over the magnificent plateau. As a must-visit destination in Tibet, Yarlung Zangbo River makes for a perfect destination for adventure and exploration.

Overview of Yarlung Zangbo River
Yarlung Zangbo River is the longest Chinese plateau river, located in the Tibet autonomous region, hailed as the highest river in the world. Flowing in the southwest Tibet, north of Himalaya Range, Yarlung Zangbo River comes from Jie Ma Yangzong glacier, upstream called Maquan River, from west to east across the southern part of Tibet, around the eastern tip of Himalaya mountains Namjagbarwa turning south, through Pasighat flowing out of China. Rich in water reserves, in China Yarlung Zangbo River is second only to the Yangtze River in terms of water volume. The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is the first Grand Canyon in the world and according to Chinese world record association it is also the deepest and longest canyon in the world. According to the natural conditions, the Jianggan Valley morphology and flow changes, the main tributary can be divided into the Heyuan region, the upstream, midstream and downstream. From the end of Jie Ma Yangzong glacier to Li Zi is the upstream, the river is 268 kilometers long, covering 26570 square kilometers. The continuous snow capped mountains are laid on a stretch as far as eye can see with a green carpet of grass dotting in the middle of the land. The upper Maquan River Valley is an animal park, home to Tibetan antelope, blue sheep, wild yak, bears, wolves, foxes, rats, rabbits and other animals.

Cultural Delight near the River
Yarlung Zangbo River is birthplace of the ancient culture which has a long history of the river basin of Linzhi County, as the representative of the Neolithic culture. In Linzhi County and Medog County there were a large number of relics unearthed to prove the fact. The late Neolithic age, many tribes set root in Tibet. The Yarlung Zangbo River is not only the cradle of the birth and development of Tibet civilization, but also the cultural exchange between Han and Tibetan people. Tibetan Buddhist worship is very common and keen near the river. Where there are Buddhism believers, there will be a temple. The Yarlung Zangbo River Basin has many temples, whether in the canyon or deep mountains, temple bells could be heard. And the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin is beautiful, it feeds on both sides of fertile land, it is the cradle of culture of the Tibetan people.

Overall, Yarlung Zangbo River is worth exploring while visiting Tibet!