About Us
Why We Built This Guide
Honest Silk Road travel advice from people who have been there. No AI, no sponsors, no booking commissions.
Our Story
We are a small team of travel writers and Silk Road specialists who have collectively spent years exploring Gansu Province. We started this guide in 2026 after noticing that most English-language information about Dunhuang and Jiuquan was outdated, written by people who had never visited, or buried in TripAdvisor forum threads.
Every recommendation on this site comes from firsthand experience. We have booked Mogao Caves tickets as foreigners. We have taken the high-speed train between Dunhuang and Jiuquan. We have eaten at Shazhou Night Market until we could not eat anymore. We make mistakes so you do not have to.
What we promise: No AI-generated content. No sponsored listings. Every price verified at attraction gates. Written by humans who have been there.
What Makes This Guide Different
Every price is verified at the gate. We do not copy prices from other websites. Every ticket price on this site was checked in person at attraction entrances — most recently in July 2026. When prices change, we update within days, not months.
No AI-generated content. Every paragraph on this site was written by humans who have been to these places. We describe specific caves we have entered, specific train carriages we have sat in, specific meals we have eaten — not generic observations scraped from the internet.
No sponsored listings. We do not accept payment from hotels, tour operators, or restaurants. When we recommend a place, it is because we genuinely liked it. We pay for our own travel, accommodation, and meals.
Written for foreign travelers. Most Chinese travel information in English is either outdated, machine-translated, or written for a domestic audience. We write specifically for international visitors navigating visa requirements, language barriers, mobile payment, and the practical realities of independent travel in Gansu.
Meet the Team
Lin Jun
Lead Writer · Silk Road Specialist · Based in Lanzhou
Lin has explored the Hexi Corridor for over a decade, visiting every major Silk Road site from Xi'an to Kashgar. He has guided foreign friends through Dunhuang and Jiuquan across all four seasons and knows which guesthouses have the best views of the dunes. His favorite dish is Lanzhou beef noodles (he insists the best bowl is at Mazilu near the Yellow River). Lin leads our research trips and verifies every ticket price and schedule in person.
Yun Wang
Editor & Translator · Cross-Cultural Guide · Gansu Native
Born and raised in Jiuquan, Yun brings local knowledge that no guidebook can match. She handles the practical details foreign travelers actually need — how to order food without speaking Chinese, which SIM card works best in the desert, and why the left-side camel at Crescent Lake has the better sunset view. Yun translates the nuances of Silk Road culture into clear, actionable advice and writes most of our survival guides.
Our Visit Timeline
First Silk Road Explorations
Initial research trips across Gansu. Discovered that most online English information about Dunhuang was outdated or wrong.
Deep Research Phase
Multiple visits across all seasons. Documented ticket booking processes and train schedules.
The Slow Travel Year
Extended stays in Dunhuang and Jiayuguan. Vetted every recommendation through repeated visits.
Guide Launch
Launched this site. All prices verified at attraction gates in July 2026. Updated continuously.