Zhangye – Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
Shortly after Zhangye, I meet a group of Taiwanese cyclists who are moving at about the same pace as me and heading in the same direction towards Dunhuang. Unlike me, who rides in shorts and a sleeveless jersey, smearing my skin with sun protection factor 50, they all wear long clothing to protect themselves from the rays. Acer (it seems to be the name of a rider who speaks in English with me) wears a jersey with the inscription Velo-Center Amacher, Matten. He does not know that Matten is a village in Switzerland in the beautiful Bernese Oberland in Interlaken. The jersey was given to him by a Taiwanese man who was touring Europe. At our lunch stop we have a fine meal, but it is much more impressive to observe the table manners here in China (burping, slurping, smoking, etc.) and how the Chinese leave their seats. I am also told that a man who can drink a lot of alcohol is considered a good, capable, brave and strong man. I wondered a bit how one can drink so much at a car service station and already at noon…. After arriving in Jiayuguan, a visit to the fort is a must. It is also a good place to see the Great Wall. This section of the wall provides a breathtaking backdrop to look out over the mountain peaks in the background and across the plains.
As a cycling group, we make good progress on the G 312 national road and are now reaching Dunhuang. The oasis town at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, just before the border into the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, was an important trading hub on the old Silk Road. Here in the Taklamakan Desert, the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road converged. Thus, different cultures and religions quickly merged. Buddhism found its way to China for the first time.
Today, visitors come from all over the world to see the Mogao Caves, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Many of the individual caves, which are also known as the „Thousand Buddha Grottoes“ in their entirety, are still well preserved and partly accessible. The cave temples contain, for example, ornate paintings inside and were designed to provide an introduction to Buddhist teachings or, for example to promote meditation. I love the sand dunes, which I prefer to enjoy without my bike. The musical Silkroad is a wonderful and special highlight.
