Travelling the Silk Road brings to life one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, cultures, and technologies from four representative cities: Xian, Chinas Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual centre of the era.

The original documents were filmed by local television teams of nine countries in Central Asia as the expedition, organized within UNESCO's programme 'Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Route of Dialogue' retraced the 2,000-year-old 20,000 km silk and spices route linking East and West and thus ideas, religions, people, products and cultures in both directions. John Lawton composed later this fascinating kaleidoscope (as well as another one called Silk, Scent and Spice (disponible ici) ) where, from Xian in China to Constantinople at the doors of Europe, the legendary and the present meet and the dialogue is still alive.

sur ce thème: Explorant la Route des épices (revue Patrimoine mondial n° 45)