This summer I traveled along the entire Chinese section of the Silk Road. My interest started some years ago after reading Michael Yamashita’s amazing “Marco Polo: A Photographer’s Journey” (published by White Star). In the book, the famous National Geographic’s photographer brings to life the legendary expedition of the 13th-century Venetian merchant to Cathay (China), first crossing central Asia and than back through the South-East and India. Needless to say, I was absolutely amazed by the pictures and initially planned a trip to the former Soviet republics in Central Asia: in my opinion the most interesting and fascinating part of the trip nowadays. Unfortunately, the current political situation does not suggest traveling there, especially if your aim is adventure travel far away from crowded touristic attractions. Thus, I decided for the Chinese part of Marco Polo’s trip also with the intent of finally knowing a country, China, that in latest years is undergoing an enormous transformation and quickly assuming a primary role in today’s global arena.

My trip started in Beijing and, after almost four weeks, finished in Urumqi in the western part of the country. Traveling mostly by train and coach, I visited in sequence the eastern part of the country (including Beijing, the province of Shanxi and Xi’an), the province of Gansu (including the northern part of Tibet and the Hexi Corridor) and the western province of Xinjiang (including Kashgar, the Taklimakan Desert and Urumqi). In this and the next two posts I’ll try to convey the richness and variety but also the contradictions and issues that characterize a deeply changed country from the one Marco Polo visited (and yet changing again!).

The first impact arriving in Beijing in a typical Chinese summer day couldn’t have been worse. Accustomed to the European climate, I was simply knocked down by the high temperatures (well above 35°C during most of the day), constant dampness and unbelievable levels of air pollution. These impossible conditions have unfortunately characterized the whole trip, even if moving to the west the weather got dryer and thus more bearable. Anyway, I soon learned to cope with the hot sun and damp clothes; what I could not get accustomed to were the nasty air and the constantly milk-white sky which, in particular, was able to ruin even the most brilliantly-exposed photo.

Beijing is a fascinating city and probably one of the best spots to understand the transformation that China is undergoing. Even in the span of a few days you can perceive the speed with which old neighborhoods and buildings are demolished to make place for brand-new glittering skyscrapers. Just as an example, when I arrived the first day to the hotel one of the floors was still in construction (you could see just gray concrete) but when I left three days later customers were sleeping in completely finished rooms (!). Moreover, starting from scratch, the Chinese city-planners are crafting a modern, efficient and grandiose metropolis with functional transportation (even if traffic is a serious problem), green areas and ambitious architectural projects. Indeed I left Beijing thinking of it as the largest playground for architects in the world with some of the best structures I’ve seen around, at the top the ones currently being built for next year’s Olympics.

The dark side of this modernization is the fact that Beijing’s traditional neighborhoods and alleys, called “hutongs”, are quickly being razed or transformed into shining but absolutely artificial touristic attractions. The few authentic ones that remain are only found carefully observing the city map and asking locals (a good one is to the south-west of Tiananmen Square). They help you understand what the city should have been a long time ago: a huge and intricate labyrinth of small alleys, shops and temples with a few grand buildings immersed in the labyrinth (the Forbidden City one of them). The hutongs are by far what I liked most: a good place to eat and shop for unusual artifacts and for sure the best place to “live” the city and get in touch with people. On the contrary, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven left me unimpressed (but the fact that they were under restoration and crowded to the unbearable could have affected my judgment) as did the new commercial streets (such as Wangfujing Dajie, Beijing’s Oxford Street). A lot more rewarding, in my opinion, is the Summer Palace. I’ve visited it during the weekend and, together with some well preserved traditional architecture immersed in green vegetation, I could observe how Beijing locals enjoyed a sunny and unusually pleasant day.

In the Beijing area you’re also able to visit some of the best preserved and restored sections of the Great Wall. Of the different sites, I’ve visited one of the less touristic but more distant (3-4 hours from the center of Beijing). I arrived in Jinshanling and walked for 10km along the wall to Simatai. The Great Wall is absolutely amazing and the fact that (for a change!) the site was uncrowded helped connecting with the scenery and history of the place. Thinking back, I still find astonishing the ambition of the enterprise and the effort that was spent completing the works. Visually, the construction is fascinating: a long, perfectly designed series of walls and towers that zig-zag up and down the green hills. A must-see if you visit Beijing.

Continue with the rest of the story reading part 2.