- Camel Bells
- Buddha’s Light & Sacred Cham
- The Heart of the Silk Road
- Rainforest Secrets & Dai Charm
- Pastoral Echoes on the Snow Plateau
- Echoes of the Tea-Horse Road
- The Tea-Horse Road
- The Heart of the Silk Road Where Civilizations Meet
- Across the Tianshan: Heart of the Silk Road
- The Eastward Spread of Buddhist Radiance
Design Philosophy
The Silk Road: A Civilization Artery That Changed the World – An 11-Day Humanities Journey Through the Hexi Corridor. The Silk Road is the greatest cultural artery in human history. It connected East and West, gave birth to Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and other great religions, and brought together the civilizations of China, India, Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Its core lifeline has always been in China's Gansu Province – the Hexi Corridor.
From here, silk, porcelain, papermaking, and gunpowder traveled to the world. From here, Buddhist art spread eastward, profoundly transforming the spiritual world of China and all of East Asia. We follow in the footsteps of Kumarajiva, the great translator of Buddhist scriptures, and pay tribute to the perseverance of Xuanzang on his westward pilgrimage. His words – "See that the five aggregates are empty, and transcend all suffering" – became a spiritual totem for the Chinese people in times of hardship. Over this 11-day journey, you will open the door to the true Hexi Corridor through a humanist lens.
Day 1
Beijing – Lanzhou
Fly from Beijing to Lanzhou. Check in at the hotel on your own. In the evening, take a stroll to Zhongshan Bridge and the Yellow River Scenic Belt. Visit the local Muslim quarter, explore the 200-year-old Muslim community, and wander through hand-pulled lamb restaurants and snack streets to experience the traditional life of the Hui and Dongxiang people and the authentic Northwest Muslim atmosphere. Dinner features a Dongxiang specialty: a whole-lamb feast.
Accommodation: Lanzhou City Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (own expense) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)
Day 2
Lanzhou – Bingling Temple – Linxia
After breakfast, depart for Yongjing, Linxia. Take a speedboat to Bingling Temple. Cave 169 bears an inscription dated "Xiqin Hongyuan Year 1" (420 AD) – the earliest recorded date of any Buddhist grotto in China. Explore by speedboat through spectacular peaks. We specially arrange a visit to the Upper Monastery to see the Tang Dynasty future Buddha statue and the retreat of a hermit. After the visit, return by boat to the pier and proceed to Linxia city for hotel check-in. Dinner features a traditional Muslim banquet.
Accommodation: Linxia Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (Muslim banquet)
Day 3
Linxia – Xiahe
After breakfast, visit a traditional Muslim market, the mausoleums of the Four Sufi Orders, and the study site of a revered sage who influenced Northwest China for centuries. After lunch, drive to Langmusi, passing Tumen Pass to enter the Gannan Tibetan region and arrive in Xiahe. In the afternoon, head to Jieyou Pasture high in the heart of the Sangke Grassland, enjoying the vast and spectacular summer pasture views. Dinner features a Tibetan meal made from local natural ingredients.
Accommodation: Xiahe Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (pasture meal)
Day 4
Xiahe – Shandan
After breakfast, head to Labrang Monastery. Join a monk-led tour covering the Medical College, Butter Sculpture Hall, Manjushri Hall, Simhanada Buddha Hall, and the Sutra College. Labrang is the largest Tibetan Buddhist center outside Lhasa – known as the "Second Tibet" – with China's best-preserved Tibetan Buddhist academic system. A walking tour explains Labrang's connections to the Himalayas, Mongolia, western Sichuan, and Qinghai. We specially arrange a visit to a nunnery to learn about local nuns' lives, with expert commentary on the murals. After the visit, return to Lanzhou West Station and take a high-speed train to Shandan. Tonight, enjoy stargazing under the Qilian Mountains.
Accommodation: Shandan Horse Ranch Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)
Day 5
Shandan – Zhangye
Early morning watch the horse herd drinking and moving at Shandan Horse Ranch. Then ride with local herders deep into the Qilian Mountains (1-hour horseback riding). Follow a special path to look for wild elk (weather permitting). The Shandan Horse Ranch has been a royal horse ranch since the Han Dynasty – over 2,100 years of continuous use, still Asia's largest military horse breeding base. In the afternoon, leave Shandan and travel along the Hexi Corridor to Zhangye.
Accommodation: Zhangye Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)
Day 6
Zhangye – Jiayuguan
After breakfast, visit the Great Buddha Temple, built during the Western Xia Dynasty. It is the oldest temple in the Hexi Corridor and a former royal temple. The reclining Buddha in the main hall is the largest indoor reclining Buddha in Asia. Then visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark – China's only combination of Danxia landforms and colorful hills. After the visit, continue to Jiayuguan. Jiayuguan City is home to the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group, a key national First Five-Year Plan project. A special visit to the local market is arranged. Dinner is at your own expense.
Accommodation: Jiayuguan City Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (own expense)
Day 7
Guazhou – Yulin Caves – Dunhuang
In the morning, visit the Yulin Caves – sister grottoes to Mogao, continuously built from Northern Wei through Yuan, with minimal tourism development, focused on research and preservation. The area from Guazhou to Yulin Caves is an important node on the Silk Road, featuring a unique high-mountain Gobi landscape. It was also a key stop on Xuanzang's westward journey for Buddhist scriptures. In the afternoon, visit the "Earthly Child" modern art installation. Arrive in Dunhuang in the evening. After dinner, watch the "Encounter Dunhuang" light-and-shadow performance to prepare for the next day's Mogao Grottoes visit.
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)
Day 9
Dunhuang – Mogao Grottoes – Dunhuang
After breakfast, depart for the Mogao Grottoes. First, watch the Mogao Grottoes digital cave films, then explore the caves with a professional guide. The Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the world's largest and richest collection of Buddhist art. Built over ten dynasties, it has 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 painted statues. In the afternoon, visit an intangible cultural heritage artist's studio. Learn about Dunhuang murals from pigments to painting techniques, from an artistic perspective, and try copying a mural yourself.
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)
Day 10
Dunhuang – Yumen Pass – Mingsha Mountain – Dunhuang
Visit the Yumen Pass ruins and hike along the remaining Han Great Wall. At Xiaofangpan City, gaze out at the solitude and坚守 of ancient frontier soldiers. Then visit the Han Great Wall site to learn about Han Dynasty border defense systems. In the afternoon, return to Dunhuang and visit Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring. Ride a camel across the sand dunes. A special desert dinner is arranged, with ingredients sourced locally, followed by a campfire gathering to share reflections on the journey.
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (desert dinner)
