Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS December 15, 1997

12/07/97, CNN, Donna Liu contributed to this report

"I could make more money if I gave up farming and just made silk. But we are farmers. That is our life," one man said. And while farming is difficult in the dusty reaches of the old Silk Road, the revival of this ancient trade route may bring the farmers a new measure of prosperity.

XINJIANG, China (CNN) -- As it crossed the hostile desert of China's barren northwest, the old Silk Road was once defined by the oases that dotted the way: Kashgar, Yarkand and Hotan. Later, ocean shipping overtook those trade spots and made them obsolete. But since China began opening up two years ago, the pendulum has swung the other way again, and trade of all kinds is again flourishing along the old crossroads.

"The future is very bright, very bright. It will develop more and more. We can purchase a lot of things from China to import into Pakistan," one Pakistani trader said.

Much of the trade involves the four former Central Asian Soviet republics that share the Turkic culture of the natives of China's Xinjiang autonomous region. Soon railways will reopen the old trade routes and provide a further boost to trade.

"The government will build a railway network in this region," said a Chinese official. "And we'll use the network to transport our local goods, such as cotton, fruit and many other commodities -- not only to domestic markets but also overseas."

A lot of exports involve Chinese goods such as shoes, toys and cosmetics. But some of the treasures of ancient Cathay are still for sale, including silk.

In one valley along the way, there is a revival of the techniques used to make silk, particularly at the household level. From boiling the cocoons of the silkworm to spinning the fine threads, dying and eventually weaving the fabric on handmade looms, this is the kind of art and craft that has been passed on through the generations by a few remaining families.

Some of the unique fabrics have become so popular that producers find it difficult to keep up with demand. "I could make more money if I gave up farming and just made silk. But we are farmers. That is our life," one man said. And while farming is difficult in the dusty reaches of the old Silk Road, the revival of this ancient trade route may bring the farmers a new measure of prosperity.