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Photos are courtesy of Dennis Schmitt, Chris Carpenter, and David Morrison. All rights reserved |
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With
Leadership by Dr. Chris Carpenter!
XINJIANG
& HUNZA
Lofty Peaks, National Parks, and Villages of the Silk Road & Karakoram!
September 2-19, 2012
Dear Travelers:
This fall, I invite you to join me on a journey to
explore the northern Silk Road, including the
oasis cities of Urumqi and Kashgar in northwest
China and the Hunza Valley of far northern
Pakistan.
The region where China meets Pakistan is wild
and scenic, with contrasting landscapes and
cultures. People of the arid valleys channel snow melt
from nearby mountains to water apricot
orchards and grape arbors. Mountain people range
highland meadows and spruce forests on
horseback, spending summers in yurts of felt or
canvas. We’ll meet groups of Uygher, Kazakh,
and Tajik peoples in Western Xinjiang, and
several other cultural groups in Hunza.
The oasis towns of Turpan and Kashgar, in
China’s Xinjiang Province, are cultural centers for
the Uygher nationality, with colorful homes and a
rich history of folk art and scholarship. Early in
the last century, Kashgar was a center of intrigue
in “The Great Game” for control by British and
Russian colonialists. Long distance
trade has
always been integral to life in these places. The
ongoing flow of people and ideas has engendered
a strong sense of hospitality and has given worldly
perspectives to otherwise isolated communities.
Pakistan’s Hunza Valley is encircled by peaks
of the Karakoram range. Local residents are
followers of Ismaili, a moderate branch of Islam
that places importance on civic responsibility,
academic learning, and equal opportunity for men
and women. It is one of the few places in Pakistan
where women do not wear the veil and worship
occurs in community centers, not mosques. Under
patronage of the Aga Khan, Hunza has modern
schools and numerous cultural restoration
programs are underway. They are preserving
agricultural land by encouraging residents to
continue to live in the traditional, flat roofed “cluster villages.”
If the prospect of visiting northern Pakistan
concerns you, please know that all of the places on
our itinerary (which we visited several times
recently) are peaceful, friendly, and secure. Hunza
valley, from Gilgit to the Chinese border, is
geographically isolated from other parts of
Pakistan and self contained.
Residents of Hunza
regret that Muslim societies have acquired a
negative image in the Western world and they try
hard to dispel stereotypes. In fact, the cohesive
Ismaeli community of Hunza is not antiWestern
in
any sense. Moreover, the government of Pakistan
is very security conscious. We will be well looked
after during this portion of the tour.
We hope you will join us on this unique
adventure to explore the cultures, national parks,
and extraordinary, scenic landscapes of Zinjiang
and Hunza!
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris Carpenter
Expedition Leader
$3,995
+ air.
Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)
Photos are courtesy of David Morrison. All rights reserved
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