One caravan on the Silk Road, from Chang’an

In Chang’an, in the spring of seven hundred and thirty, a merchant watches handlers load silk onto two-humped camels beyond the western market gates.

This caravan is imagined, not recorded. Most Silk Road goods passed between many traders, rather than travelling with one owner throughout.

Heading northwest, the merchant follows the Hexi Corridor, where settlements and Tang military posts connect a narrow passage between mountains and desert.

At Dunhuang, the guide checks waterskins and fodder. Beyond this oasis, routes divide around the Taklamakan, a desert crossed only with great difficulty.

Our caravan takes the northern route towards Hami. Its journey depends on scattered oases, not a single road stretching across empty sand.

Near Turfan, mountain water sustains vineyards and fields. The merchant trades some cloth for provisions; camels cannot carry everything needed for months.

At Kucha, unfamiliar speech fills the market. The guide speaks Sogdian, part of a trading culture whose networks link China with Central Asia.

Between oases, progress slows. Gravel plains offer little grazing, and the handlers must reach reliable water before their animals grow too weak.

At Kashgar, beneath distant snowy peaks, merchants exchange news of mountain crossings. The caravan rests while its guide seeks experienced local help.

Westward, the trail climbs into the Tian Shan. High passes demand careful timing; sudden snow can close the way even outside winter.

Descending into the Fergana Valley, the travellers find cultivated land again, then continue west towards Samarkand’s trading networks.

After months on the road, Samarkand’s mudbrick walls appear: a Sogdian city enriched by exchange, craftsmanship, and farming.

The silk has arrived, but who will buy it, and where will it travel next? Next chapter: inside Samarkand’s markets.