As commerce flourished along the Silk Road, Central Asia became a melting pot of cultures. Here on the edges of the Taklimakan Desert, an exotic blend of Indian, Mongol, Chinese, and European influences fueled an astonishing cultural Renaissance. In the 7th century, a Chinese monk, Xuanzang, plunged into the desert while on a Buddhist pilgrimage to India leaving behind descriptions of the oasis-cities he encountered. More than a thousand years later, 20th century archeologist Sir Aurel Stein took on the deadly Taklimakan to prove his own theories about Western China's lost civilization. Again and again Xuanzang's writings led him to archeological treasure - once-thriving cities now buried in the sand.

As commerce flourished along the Silk Road, Central Asia became a melting pot ...