Journeys and Historical Lives · Zhang Qian’s Journey West

Zhang Qian · West Through the Dunes

A thin caravan passes beneath towering dunes. Roads unfurl like silk toward cities tucked into distant folds.

A Road Above the Sand

A ribbon of road extends from the dune crest above a nearly invisible caravan.

Beyond the dune, another dune.

Silk rises into folded ravines, holding scattered cities and clouds.

A caravan follows a ring of dunes toward its widest opening.