Over the course of about 10 days, we traveled well over 4,000 kilometers from Beijing all the way to Kashgar, stopping at many places along the way and seeing a variety of cities, landscapes, and cultures that I never thought I would get to experience. As we traveled from the east coast to the western most part of China, I was struck by the diversity of Chinese geography and culture. Taking trains directly westward gave me the opportunity to see how the scenery gradually evolved from the green humid climate of Beijing to the dry sandy climate of the Xinjiang province, and stopping in so many places gave me the chance to see how the people and cities differed. This trip was an irreplicable experience that came with many hilarious and unforgettable moments.
Our main form of transportation throughout the trip was via train; we would take a train from city to city where a local tour guide would then pick us up and direct us around the city. I was very excited to take so many trains, as the U.S. railway system does not compare to China’s, and who doesn’t like trains? It is safe to say the experience did not disappoint. We took a mix of high-speed bullet trains and overnight regular trains, each with their own unique aspects. The bullet trains were enjoyable simply because they do not exist in America. Going so fast also meant you could look out the window and see in real time how the landscapes and cities changed as you moved westward.
The overnight trains were a whole different beast. We took the overnight trains three separate times, once to Xi’an, once to Dunhuang, and once to Kashgar, and they got exceedingly crazy each time. Every time we had hard sleeper tickets, meaning we had five out of the six bunks in the bunk room. The staff took the bottom two bunks, which meant the three students, Jen, Mars, and I, took turns sleeping on the very top bunk. The first ride was amazing. It was a nicer, more modern, train car and I had plenty of room for my long legs. It felt genius, no need for a hotel room when you can just travel while you sleep! On the second train I realized why people don’t take the overnight trains all the time. This one was a slightly older train, so rather than feeling like a hotel room on wheels it felt more like a hospital bed flying down the train tracks. On this one I took the middle bunk, but the bed was shorter. This meant my feet hung off the side of the bed a good 12 inches, so I was constantly accidentally kicking people as they walked down the aisle of train- not a good look.
The third train was by far the craziest. This was the ride I finally took the top bunk, which at first, I thought was a great move, my feet would hang off but they’d be above everybody so they wouldn’t hit anyone, that is until the kid next to me went to sleep. This kid was probably 14-16 years old and was by far the loudest snorer I have ever met. Our WeChat group chat was going off, everyone just wondering if this kid was OK. I must have kicked, hit, and flicked him 45 times trying to get the snoring to stop, until I was accidentally caught by his mother sleeping on the bunk below. Rather than get upset at me for violently shaking her sleeping son’s bed, she climbs up the ladder and smacks her son, yelling at him in mandarin. From that point forward the snoring stopped, and I was able to get some sleep. Overall, a very unique train experience that I could have never gotten in the U.S.
Our first stop was Xi’an, a historic city in China that was the capital city to many dynasties throughout history. The city center reminded me a lot of Beijing, similar structures and shopping streets, only it was surrounded by a thick ancient wall and there were a lot more Muslim people. In Xi’an we visited the terracotta warriors. The warriors themselves were extremely detailed and each one had their own unique face, but I found myself more compelled by the ones that were cracked and disassembled. Overall, I was struck by two things. One, the creation date and discovery date were so far apart. I was unsurprisingly amazed at how old the grave was, seeing as how they were thousands of years older than anything I have seen in America, but on top of this they were only discovered in the 1970s, which made it difficult to wrap my head around. I felt lucky to be born at a time where I could witness such an ancient wonder, yet also bewildered at how long they went without being found. It makes me curious as to what other ancient artifacts could be hiding underground that we’ll never find. Second, I was struck by how many Chinese tourists were there. Going in to see a place that is so famous worldwide I expected there to be tons of international tourists, yet the vast majority of people were domestic travelers. This made me realize that most of what we were going to see on trip was stuff that many Chinese citizens don’t even get the chance to see, which made me that much more excited for the rest of the trip.
My favorite stop along the way was definitely the city of Xiahe. Unlike Xi’an, which somewhat reminded me of Beijing, Xiahe was a completely new city that reminded me more of a small American mountain town, despite its population of over 86,000. It had one main road that accounted for the majority of the shops and restaurants in the city, and both the river and mountains gave it an excellent Fung Shui. It is located in a small valley, which meant you could see the mountains on all sides of the city, unlike a lot of Chinese cities that feel like they could go one forever. Its location was also in a perfect median between east and west China, meaning it still had some beautiful greenery of the east while also having these crazy large mountains of the west. It is a perfect medium and a unique size, and it also is home to one of the largest Tibetan monasteries in the world.
The Labrang monastery takes up the majority of the western part of Xiahe and has some of the most detailed and remarkable architecture and temples I have ever seen. We went on a tour with an English-speaking monk, so we were able to see the inside of the temples and hear his Buddhist teachings. I’m not sure where here learned English, but the monastery was home to many different schools, some taught philosophy, some taught science, etc. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the temples, but they all had giant gold statues of different buddhas, colorful paintings of different Gods, and many large yak butter candles that made the temples smell like an old wooden ski resort- I really loved the smell. The monk’s teachings were confusing and mainly had to do with an individual’s role in universe and what the ultimate form of truth and goodness is. He constantly had my mind going in circles and I wasn’t sure if the teachings were actually that confusing, or if he was trying to play them up as more mystifying for all the English-speaking tourists. It seemed like every answer us tourists gave him were wrong, which frustrated me until he revealed that monks spend their whole lives in the monastery trying to figure out these answers, which gave me some relief. Later we saw this same monk outside of our hotel getting coffee with someone, which was funny to see someone I perceived to be so mysterious doing such an everyday thing.
One of the top moments of the trip came that afternoon, when we hiked up a steep mountain side to overlook the city. I had never been able to see an entire city from above, so this experience was one of a kind. The ariel view made me appreciate the intricacies of a smaller city and really put into perspective just how large the monastery was. Going up the hike I noticed tons of thin strips of paper littering the mountain side, almost resembling tons of money everywhere. When we got to the top our tour guide Peter explained that they were Wind Horse Papers, and it was a Xiahe tradition to make a wish and throw loads of these papers off the side of the mountain. He had bought a box of these Wind Horse Papers, so we were able to throw them off together. The papers look incredible as hundreds of them fluttered in the wind down the mountain. The hike presented such a unique perspective on the city and really made me feel like I knew Xiahe.
The next few days involved a lot of cliffside grottos, the Bingling Temple outside of Xiahe and the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. These were ancient cutouts in the cliffsides all depicting Buddha in various ways, shapes, and sizes. They were made by people with different economic status and in different dynasties, so there was a wide range in style. Some were small Buddhas chipped into the side of the mountain, barely visible after years of natural deterioration. Others were large rooms with many Buddha statues that maintained their vibrant colors, as they were dug deep into the walls of the cliffs to protect from the rain and sandstorms. It was incredible to see how a religious tradition was carried out in different places by so many different people throughout so much of China’s history. Everything was well protected from the elements and people, but I felt like they should continue to allow certain people to carve out caves in order to keep the tradition going. However, they exist strictly as museums; they only allow specific caves to be entered under the presence of a tour guide. There was also a limit on how many people could enter a cave, so I was lucky to have the opportunity to visit them.
By the time we got to the Xinjiang province I thought I had pretty much seen it all, but I was proven wrong. We visited Turpan and Kashgar, two extremely Muslim cities with the most minorities in China, and they reminded me much more of eastern Europe than anywhere in China. The climate was very dry and there were many mountains in the distance, which is why it was surprising to learn that they were home to the majority of China’s fruit farms. They specialized in figs, melons, and grapes. One night I ate so many lamb pockets and raisins that I thought I was going to get sick, still the best raisins I have ever had. We witnessed unique architecture that I never thought I’d see in China and many ruins and ancient cities older than I could ever imagine. We even got to see a Uyghur Muqam, a traditional song and dance performance, with many colorful clothing and special singing, and at one point a woman had a long snake that she acted she was going to throw in the crowd.
As interesting as it was to see how the landscapes and cultures changed the more west we traveled, it was equally interesting to see how the food changed. In Xi’an we started off with Biang Biang noodles, long thick noodles not all too different from some of the noodles I have eaten here in Beijing. As we went further west, we began to ditch noodles, and the emphasis was more on plates of meat (lamb more specifically) and vegetables. At one point we were served simply cooked lamb shanks with raw garlic; I can’t say it was my favorite but definitely worth experiencing. By the time we were all the way west the only carbs to be found were fresh naan bread cooked in a tandoor, and lamb pockets, probably my favorite food item from the trip.
Going straight east to west gave me the opportunity to gradually understand the diversity of the cultures within China, as I could see the cities and landscapes change with my own eyes. I was able to see many historical monuments that I have always wanted to see, as well as many that I had never heard of that left me even more impressed. I was able to witness completely alien landscapes and try food I never could back in America. It made me closer to those I traveled with and left me curious as to what else China has to offer.
By Fall 2024 student Thomas Helm
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