The sixth stage of the XWORLD Tour 2008/2009 was from Kyrgyzstan to the "Central Empire". A report by the participants who this time had to make a detour, but now also have a Chinese driving license.

"Our stage of the XWORLD Tour starts from Bischkek - the capital of the Kyrgysian Republic. It is an impressive metropolis with about a million inhabitants on the edge of a range of mountains which is almost 5,000 metres high. The feeling when driving is also impressive - in spite of the gridiron pattern of the streets and the wide boulevards there are continuous traffic jams and hooting, not to mention the amount of fine dust…

We are therefore glad to pick up our vehicles at the local HANSA-FLEX branch after our overnight stay. The staff guide us out of the city and we drive to the Ysyk-Köl Lake along well-surfaced asphalt roads. We spend the night on the shore of the second highest mountain lake in the world and use the opportunity for a refreshing swim in the lake.

On the third day, we have 400 kilometres ahead of us - and they turned out to be bumpy. The first few kilometres to Kochor (a pleasant little town) are on asphalt roads. From there, we travel onwards towards our destination Tash Rabat. The first challenge is to cross the 3,038 metre Dolon Pass. Although it is free of snow, the condition of the road becomes increasingly bad, until we are driving on corrugated gravel roads which really shake us up. However, the view of the landscape rewards us for our stress and strain: broad green plains, with snow-covered mountains which touch the blue sky on the horizon.

In the evening we arrive in Tash Rabat - and have to pay to enter the town. For this, we have the "pleasure" of trying fermented mare's milk, are able to visit a caravanserai and spend the night in a yurt. At night, a glance at the thermometer shows us that we are at a very high altitude and it is still spring: minus 2 Centigrade. We therefore heat the yurt with cow dung. It burns excellently - but it doesn't have a particularly pleasant smell.

On the fourth day we want to leave Kyrghistan and reach our first destination in China: Kashgar. This is a trip of only about 250 kilometres - but with regard to the driving time it is one of the longest stages.

At first we make good progress. From Tash Rabat we drive on gravel roads into the snow-covered Tian Shan Mountains, cross the Ak-Beyit Pass at an altitude of 3,280 metres and finally arrive at the Kyrghisian border control point. It takes about three hours before we can drive onwards. At the Turtugart Pass our Chinese guides are already waiting for us and arrange all the necessary formalities from the Chinese side for us. Whilst we are struggling to obtain the necessary stamps, the vehicles are thoroughly inspected and our luggage searched. Finally we are allowed to drive on - and after driving for about two hours we arrive at the next border point at the end of the pass. Here the participants are thoroughly checked and as a precaution our luggage is searched again on entry. In total the entry into China (without travelling time!) takes about five hours…

After all the formalities are finally complete we can drive on towards Kashgar. The remote countryside is now behind us - suddenly we are driving along an avenue and sharing the road with horse-drawn carts, bicycles and a large number of pedestrians. We are exhausted when we reach our destination.

Tomorrow the mileage of our Landcruisers will only change by 20 kilometres. The reason: The Chinese MOT must inspect our vehicles, so that they can be registered in China. At the same time we are given our Chinese driving licenses, which are mandatory for the onward journey. Without a local guide we would have been completely lost. Today we do a little sightseeing and enjoy the oasis town of Kashgar - unfortunately the old Uigurian town is being systematically and ruthlessly demolished and replaced by modern streets.

The first stage on Chinese soil is also the longest of this tour: we have 645 kilometres ahead of us. The road conditions are very good. To the right we see simply endless steppes, while on the left are the foothills of the Tian Shan Mountains. After the small town of Aksu we turn off onto the northern Silk Road - a side road. However, we hardly notice the "side" part - we have to drive very cautiously and considerately. Here, the people seem to live on the streets; there are very many men, women and children, and we often meet horses and carts drawn by oxen. At the side of the road there is one fruit orchard after another. In the evening we reach our destination for the day: the thousand-Buddha caves of Kizil. These are one of the earliest Buddhist cave complexes in China. The earliest caves were built in 4 AD.

The next morning there is a team meeting. We are due to cross a pass - but we do not know whether we can get through or not. The information from the local inhabitants is very conflicting and we cannot get a clear answer. We decide on an adventure and risk the journey.

Initially our daring is rewarded. We drive through beautiful countryside and the road winds its way along a river into the mountains. At times there are difficult passages, where landslides have broken away parts of the road, or floods have washed it away. Up at the pass a sad surprise awaits us. A tunnel has collapsed - we have to turn back.

At 6 pm we are back where we were at 8.30 am. What a pity! We drive a little further until we are beyond Kuqa. We help two Chinese whose vehicles have become bogged in the sand, and find a beautiful campsite away from the road.

From great heights to great depths - on the eighth day our route takes us from the mountain heights into the Turfan Basin. We drive along the northern Silk Road, make good progress, and are soon in the Turfan Basin. The lowest point of this basin is 98 metres below sea level, and is therefore (after the Dead Sea) the second deepest depression on earth, and probably also the hottest. We measure 44 degrees in the shade (which is still better than burning cow-dung at minus 2 degrees).

Towards evening, we reach the town of Turfan, which has given the region its name. Impressive: the former oasis, which is today a city with over 250,000 inhabitants is irrigated by centuries-old underground channels. These bring meltwater from the heights of the Tianshan Mountains. Because of this, melons and grapes can be grown in the region. The latter are dried as raisins - and not made into wine, as the population is Moslem.

On the last day of this stage of the XWORLD Tour we have a strong headwind. On the journey from Turfan to Urumqi the wind whips across the steppes and the vehicles have to fight against it. It is impossible to drive with open windows, so we have to rely on the air conditioning of our Toyota Landcruiser. In spite of the inclement weather, this section is beautiful. On the right, in front of us are the snow-covered Bodga-Shan Mountains, on the left the steppes. We drive through this scenery on asphalt roads towards the provincial capital Urumqui - a metropolis with some two million inhabitants. Here we have to say goodbye - our XWORLD Tour ends here and we fly back to Germany."