LANZHOU, China — Lovers of ancient Buddhist history, vast deserts and scenic train journeys should set their sights on the easternmost stretch of the northern Silk Road, in what is now China’s Gansu province. After experiencing its historical and natural wonders firsthand, I would say this is one of the most rewarding train trips in all of Asia — if not the very best.
Since late 2014, a high-speed rail link between Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, and the neighboring Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in China’s northwest, has made crossing this vast frontier region remarkably convenient. Passengers can travel the 1,100 kilometers from Lanzhou, in central Gansu, to Dunhuang, near the province’s northwestern tip, in just four hours.
