Follow the Silk Road into the Himalayan Mountains. Today the term “Silk Road” is used to refer to trade between ancient China and the Roman Empire. There is another ancient route further east that linked India with China through the Himalayas. By the 8th century Ladhakh, which lies between the Himalayas in the south and the Karakorum ranges in the north, became a center of trade for this area. This region incorporates the Indus River Valley, one of the few pieces of flat real estate in the region. Because it is more accessible, caravans crossing the mountains made use of the lower passes and followed the river. These secondary routes were important in the linking of traders passing through Ladhkah with the more trafficked main routes via Kashgar. The trade exchange contributed to economic growth of the region as well as its Buddhist culture. The ancient monasteries of the Western Himalayas such as Hudar, Alchi, Hemis and Lamayuru are living evidence of this. The reader will be drawn into a world of mountains, monasteries and the Silk Road. This photo book explores all this and more! Come and see!