This little fishy is about to do everything backwards - a journey to the east from the farflung province of Xinjiang to the metropolis of Beijing and then back to the western world! The aim - to get to Beijing in time to fly home for Christmas. The method - China's efficient rail service. Fifteen days, five stops, beginning this weekend ....
My good friend the railway man (better known as Chen Dunzhou!) has offered to help me out with tickets, but apparently a one-size-fits-all to get me all the way to Beijing is proving elusive. My planned stops include Jiayuguan (to view the most western portion of the Great Wall), Tianshui (there is a fine mountain there with ancient Buddhist art), Xi'an (the Terracotta Army), Luoyang (caves with more ancient art, and temples abound) and finally, Beijing.
