For Miller, an 80-year-old man, it's a chance of a lifetime. Miller is a part of a group of around 60 Germans who are on a bus journey along the ancient Silk Road.
About this journey, he says:“I have been deeply interested in the Silk Road since I was a child. But now I finally have a chance to experience it.”
The two-month bus journey will take the group through Germany, Russia and other 4 European countries. They will then enter China from the country's western part. It will be an unforgettable memory for them.
Nearly half of the 13,000-kilometer trip will be inside China. From Xinjiang in the west to Shanghai in the east, the German visitors will see more than 20 Chinese cities. "We have managed the trip of the Silk Road for around 10 years. An increasing number of people, not only from German-speaking countries, have been joining us." Says Liu Guoqiang from China Tours.
Almost 26 million foreigners traveled to China in 2015, and about 5 million of them were from Europe. Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and the Yangtze River are traditional Chinese travel destinations for European tourists. Speaking of where he wants to go, Miller says: "Compared with modern cities, the culture in western China attracts me more."
As Shi Xiang, head of China Tours says "Being a new brand to attract foreign visitors, the Silk Road is good for people to know more about China, especially the northwestern part of the country.”
