Travel-7000 km :silk road expedition -An ancient route

In the not too distant past, the famous Qissa Khawani Bazaar — Street of Storytellers — in Peshawar was frequented by faces from lands near and far, faces that later became a story of a kind. Persians, Aryans, Mongols, and later the Mughals in the 17th century wandered through its antiquated streets. It was here the merchants, travelling along the ancient Silk Road, carried on their business during the day, and gathered at night to swap yarns. For the curious Western tourist, Peshawar was a visual, if not chaotic, treat.
Intrigued by tales of the past, a Pakistani aeronautical engineer in Seattle got together a team of curious explorers to embark on a 7,000-km journey that they call the ‘Silk Road Expedition’.
“As I was growing up in Pakistan,” Khwaja (K.M.) Ali tells Eos, “I was fascinated by the stories of trade caravans coming to Peshawar through the Khyber Pass. They would bring precious cargoes of silk, gold and ivory, ideas and experiences from faraway places, a fresh air of culture as they [plugged] along the Silk Road.”
Eleven Pakistanis from around the world team up to travel along the Silk Road
The team members also came from different parts of the world, emulating the tradition of travelling to the Orient as traders did in bygone days. Pakistanis by origin, the expedition gathered at Shanghai from various destinations — Seattle, Boston, Ohio, Lahore and Karachi. The team comprised Khwaja (KM) Ali, Sabiha Omar, Dr Imran Chaudhry, Dr Nasim Chaudhry, Babar Ali, Mahera Omar, Yasmin Ali, Dr Sayed Amjad Hussain, Lubna Khan, Mohammad Khan and Mehvash Ali.Running from the east coast of China all the way west and south into Pakistan, the Silk Road traverses various cultures. At the start of the route at Xian, Arab and Islamic influences are apparent as sign boards are written in Arabic. Travelling ahead, traces of Buddhist art begin to emerge which later turn into the tribal culture of the old city of Kashgar where the Northern and Southern Silk Roads merge and branch out into Central Asia, Europe and southward into Peshawar.
Right before the Silk Route begins at Xian, Shanghai opens before you as a colourful picture of China’s culturally diverse landscape. It is a juxtaposition of the past and the future. On one hand, you see fast-bullet trains, skyscrapers, developed roads and electric-powered cars. But at the same time, the historical tradition of rearing worms for silk and silk thread being woven by hands continue to draw travellers to China.
Right before the Silk Route begins at Xian, Shanghai opens before you as a colourful picture of China’s culturally diverse landscape. It is a juxtaposition of the past and the future.
“The city is full of life. There is a variety of everything — of colours, people, cultures, and not to forget the fascinating spread of food along the streets. From skewed octopus to fried bugs, one will be spoilt for choices — or none!” Yasmin Ali laughs.
What’s enchanting about the famous Chinese silk?
A silkworm cocoon can be stretched out to many times its size
A silkworm cocoon can be stretched out to many times its size
Little do people know that the tiny silkworm is what has held trade between China and Pakistan for centuries! Silk eggs that are imported from China are reared in Haripur in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and later processed for silk production in Multan and Karachi.
Earlier in the expedition, a visit to a silk factory in Suzhou near Shanghai led to one of the most enthralling discoveries of the team’s journey. “Silkworms are an amazing creation of nature,” Mahera Omar says in awe as she recalls the silk cultivation process.
During their 60-odd days of life, the silkworm eggs grow from the size of a pinhead to two to three inches in length as they feed on Mulberry leaves. In four to six weeks, the worms spin a silken cocoon around themselves, which is then carefully and painstakingly unravelled into one strand — 1,280 metres long.
“But it is so thin they need eight of them [worms] to make a single thread, which is later weaved into a lightweight but very warm quilt,” Babar Ali narrates the intricate process.To their revelation, the Pakistani community in China has grown fluent in Chinese just as much as the locals. The community is represented by a variety of professions from traders, engineers to students. A welcome dinner was hosted for the expedition team at the Silk Road restaurant in Shanghai by the community — headed by Aftab Ahmad. The gathering reminisced nostalgically of memories of home.
Then and now
“To think of it, the concept of the silk road has not changed. Back in 300 BC, the route was developed to build security and trade networks for economic exchange. The Persians channelled expansion of their empire through the same route,’’ Babar Ali points out. “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a reinterpretation of the same philosophy — to expand trade, and swell geographical access.”To their revelation, the Pakistani community in China has grown fluent in Chinese just as much as the locals. The community is represented by a variety of professions from traders, engineers to students. A welcome dinner was hosted for the expedition team at the Silk Road restaurant in Shanghai by the community — headed by Aftab Ahmad. The gathering reminisced nostalgically of memories of home.
Then and now
“To think of it, the concept of the silk road has not changed. Back in 300 BC, the route was developed to build security and trade networks for economic exchange. The Persians channelled expansion of their empire through the same route,’’ Babar Ali points out. “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a reinterpretation of the same philosophy — to expand trade, and swell geographical access.”To their revelation, the Pakistani community in China has grown fluent in Chinese just as much as the locals. The community is represented by a variety of professions from traders, engineers to students. A welcome dinner was hosted for the expedition team at the Silk Road restaurant in Shanghai by the community — headed by Aftab Ahmad. The gathering reminisced nostalgically of memories of home.
Then and now
“To think of it, the concept of the silk road has not changed. Back in 300 BC, the route was developed to build security and trade networks for economic exchange. The Persians channelled expansion of their empire through the same route,’’ Babar Ali points out. “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a reinterpretation of the same philosophy — to expand trade, and swell geographical access.”Surprisingly, the team shares, the Pakistanis in China are indifferent to the prospects of the development of the CPEC in contrast to the rapid fusion of Chinese culture and influx of visitors from China in Pakistan.
“Not many people know, but the southern arm of the trade route (entering Pakistan), is one of the few places left where you can actually spot the ancient road network along the mountains. In China, development and advanced infrastructure has swallowed a number of oasis towns, and traces of the old route are barely visible,” observes the team leader, K.M. Ali.
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