The Silk Road

The highest rated documentary series in television history in Japan, The Silk Road is a massive production, entailing some ten years in the making at a cost of over 50 million dollars which has been broadcast to rave reviews in some 25 countries. Little wonder, since co-producer Central China TV, has allowed sights never before seen by the outside world to be filmed, resulting in a visually rich tapestry of pictorial treasures, new to the Western World. The six-part series follows the centuries old "silk road," the trade route by which Chinese silk and goods were carried into Europe in return for Western monies and goods. The first episode, The Glories of Ancient Chang-An, is characteristic of the beauties which greet viewers throughout. Chang-An (now Xi-an) was the starting point of the silk road, and a nearby archaeological dig has uncovered an extraordinary "sculptured army," life-size figures which some estimate will total 6,000 by excavation's end. 50 miles west of Xi-an, viewers will see the tomb of an early emperor, reputedly the largest tomb in the world. In addition to insights about the world of 7th century China, modern Buddhist temples and Moslem mosques are visited, where rarely seen religious ceremonies are held. The five other titles in the series are: A Thousand Kilometers Beyond the Yellow River, The Art Gallery in the Desert, The Dark Castle, In Search of the Kingdom of Lou-Ian, and Across the Taklamakan Desert. A splendid series, augmented by the stirring soundtrack from new age artist Kitaro, The Silk Road is sure to be a popular addition for libraries, and is highly recommended. (Available from most distributors.)