The Silk Road- the name brings to mind the slippery feel of silk fabric, the taste of spice, and the incense-like smell of opium smoke. For centuries, these goods and many others traveled the Silk Road, a series of routes connecting China with Europe, and the region of Xinjiang was at the heart of it all.
Now, you can tour both Xinjiang itself and the surrounding desert. Dan Levin, a travel writer for the New York Times, did just that recently, staying in the city of Kashgar for a few days and then riding a camel through the forbidding Taklamakan desert.
He writes:
“Travelers who retrace the Silk Road in Xinjiang find that despite the flood of economic development, much of this remote province remains a world apart from China. In the towns and villages along this ancient trade route few people speak Mandarin, and the traditions of their ancestors — whose kingdoms have been swallowed by the sands — live on in faith and food.”
If exploring Xinjiang sounds like your cup of tea, autumn is the best time to go, according to TravelChinaGuide. This is when you’ll have the best weather, without the extreme fire and ice of winter and summer.
Before you leave, you’ll need to apply for a Chinese visa. Chinese tourist visas are available from Chinese embassies and are referred to as “L” visas. Depending on your travel needs, you can apply for a single-entry Chinese visa valid for 3-6 months, a double-entry visa valid for 6 months or a multiple-entry visa valid for 6 months.
Either what you need to apply for a Chinese tourist visa:
- A Chinese visa application
- Your passport, which will need to be sent to the embassy along with your application. Your passport must expire no sooner than 6 months in the future, and it must have at least one blank page in the back. If it expires prior to 6 months or it’s too full, you will need to get a passport renewal or add pages before you apply for the visa.
- A clear copy of your passport’s information page (the page with your name, date of birth, etc on it)
- One passport photo glued or stapled to the application.
If you are leaving within the next week, you can expedite your visa by including a copy of your itinerary.
RushMyTravelVisa can help you get your Chinese visa, as well as any other visas required for your journey. Some countries require you to get a visa even if you’re just stopping in the airport, so we research your itinerary to make sure you have all the documents you need. We’ll also help you with the application, reducing the chance of common mistakes that can hold things up. Finally, we’ll expedite your visa for the fastest possible processing.
Apply for your Chinese visa today!
Tags: China, China visa, Chinese visa
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