TITLE: Tourist Caravans

One of the most important places on the historical Silk Road across China was the oasis of Dunhuang, far into the desert. Here the merchant caravans would stop to rest and recuperate and re-supply, either for the arduous journey across the desert west toward Kashgar, or for the onward trek east into bandit country toward Xi'an. Today it is a major destination for tourists, many of whom take the opportunity to re-enact the experience of the camel caravans of long ago -- even though the caravan participants have changed, the camels, the caravans, and the dunes over which they trek have hardly changed at all over the centuries.

AUTHOR: John Eaton (United States)