Come Explore With The Planetary Society!
China’s Silk Road & Legendary Hunza
July 14–August 3, 2008

Dear Members:

In 2008 we are offering a journey to see the Total Solar Eclipse on August 1, 2008, as we explore the northern Silk Road, including the oasis cities of northwest China and the Hunza Valley of far northern Pakistan. As a bonus,we will see the pandas in Chengdu en route to Kashgar.

We will see the Total Eclipse near Altai where China, the Russian Republics, and Mongolia come together. This area is wild and scenic, with contrasting landscapes and cultures. It is on the centerline of totality for the eclipse, and while eclipse viewing can never be guaranteed, it has a high probability of clear skies!

This will be an outstanding location for viewing the eclipse. Before the eclipse, we will explore the oasis towns of Turpan and Kashgar, in China’s Xinjiang Province. These are cultural centers for the Uyghur 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.

We will then cross Khunjerab Pass to Pakistan’s Hunza Valley which is encircled by 7,000 meter peaks of the Karakoram range. Residents of this spectacular area are followers of Ismaeli, a moderate branch of Islam that places importance on openness, 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. Under the patronage of the Aga Khan, Hunza has modern schools, and numerous cultural restoration programs are under way.

All of the places on our itinerary are peaceful, friendly,and secure. Hunza Valley, from Gilgit to the Chinese border, is geographically isolated from other parts of Pakistan and self-contained. It is not anti-Western in any sense. Moreover,the government of Pakistan is very security conscious.We will be well looked after during this portion of the tour.

I hope you will join us on this unique adventure to see the Total Solar Eclipse and to explore the cultures, and extraordinary scenic landscapes of China’s Silk Road and Hunza!

Sincerely,

Dr. Louis Friedman Executive Director

Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)