Latest news with #ChristopherWiltonSteer
New York Times
12 hours ago
- New York Times
On the Silk Road, Traces of Once Bustling Intercontinental Trade
Lahore, Pakistan, is more visibly armed than Alabama, choked by Kafka-grade bureaucracy and pollution so thick you spit gray into the sink when you brush your teeth. These realities do not mar Lahore's five spreads in THE SILK ROAD: A Living History (Hemeria, $55), a sometimes beautiful travelogue of landscapes, buildings and faces along the route that once conveyed untold wealth between Europe and China, before the 16th century took trade out to sea. What the photographer Christopher Wilton-Steer does catch is the odd potential for solitude in a city so populous, as well as its architectural dignity and the benevolent pride with which Pakistanis regard outsiders. Wilton-Steer is a Londoner. In his overland trek spanning thousands of miles and 170 photographs, taken from both drone and ground vantages, his goal is feel-good: to prove that the Silk Road's 'legacy of interconnectivity and exchange' lives today, he writes, even if the literal goods now go by boat. The photos deliver. Because they flow west to east in the book, and because Wilton-Steer's favorite angles emerge as patterns throughout, they braid a telling human gradient: from onion domes in Venice to the pitched facades of Uzbekistan, from a Christian stele in Turkey to a Buddhist one in South Asia, from Uyghur faces to Han ones across China. And much to his credit, he doesn't falsely rusticate. His natives drive trucks past ruined Soviet airstrips. They wear cheugy leopard-print sweaters when they spin wool. That's life. But revelation isn't the endgame of the picturesque. Wilton-Steer's crinkled peaks and tender children of Tajikistan are prettily shot, but does it matter that the new schools, infrastructures, marketplaces and tourist centers that he depicts have been funded by the Aga Khan IV, the late billionaire developer and Muslim leader whose foundation also financed the photographer's voyage? (Wilton-Steer is the organization's head of communications.) This welcome if partisan book optimistically suggests that although container ships do the carrying now, cultural traders are alive and well on the Silk Road.
South China Morning Post
31-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
This week in PostMag: Bangkok, Japan, the Silk Road and more top travel ideas
One of the saddest things about becoming an adult is losing summer. Of course, there's still the season, which honestly I'd happily lose in Hong Kong, its oppressive humidity and all. But the deliciously lazy six to eight weeks of nothingness and boredom I remember from childhood vanish for most of us in the workforce. (Though, perhaps they've already disappeared for the modern era's chronically overscheduled children, too.) Somewhere in the midst of these lazy weeks, there might be a family trip to break the glorious banality of doing nothing. A day at the seaside, a visit to grandparents, perhaps an exotic journey abroad, if you're lucky. In that spirit of those adventures both big and small, allow me to introduce our summer travel special. Whether or not you have your travel plans booked, or even if you're staying in the city throughout, I hope this issue inspires you as it did me. I loved reading about the renewed energy sweeping Bangkok's Chinatown neighbourhood. Vincent Vichit-Vadakan talks to the next generation who are driving the change, restoring heritage buildings and transforming the area with forward-thinking restaurants, bars and art spaces. From what people have been telling me, there's been no better time to visit Bangkok than now and this has me convinced. With his gorgeous photography, Christopher Wilton-Steer documents the last leg of his 40,000km journey along the Silk Road. In his recently published book, he travels eastward from Italy all the way to Beijing, weaving together the famed trade route's history with the present day. Here, Wilton-Steer has shared the final portion of his odyssey from the Pakistan border into China. The far western reaches of the mainland are not an area I've visited yet, but the striking landscape of Dunhuang and the Gobi Desert are calling. Cameron Dueck treks through Japan's largest national park, Daisetsuzan. I'll be honest, the prospect of brown bears lessens its appeal for me but I have faith you might be braver. What does the height of indulgence look like to a newly christened Hongkonger? The solitude and vast expanses of wilderness that he encounters.
Arab News
16-05-2025
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: American Mirror by Roberto Saba
Photographer Christopher Wilton-Steer's recently published book 'The Silk Road: A Living History' is more than just a travelogue or photo collection. Adorned with 150 original photographs, alongside personal reflections, it is a vivid reminder of the shared history that connects us all. The Silk Road, which began during the Han Dynasty around 130 B.C., played a pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of goods, cultures and ideas. By the 15th century, however, its influence began to wane. Wilton-Steer set out to build a new bridge between the past and present, and between the old and new. Undertaken just before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world, Wilton-Steer retraced that historic Silk Road path between July and November 2019, traveling 40,000 km using trains, buses, camels and horses to fully immerse himself in the places he visited. He took the scenic route, and let his shutter do the talking. Photographs were taken in such places as Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, and, of course, China. As the head of communications at the Aga Khan Foundation, a global nonprofit organization that works to improve quality of life in underdeveloped regions, the London-based Wilton-Steer brought his vision to life. After a pause due to worldwide lockdowns, his photographs from the journey were displayed at an open-air exhibition in 2021 at London's King's Cross, featuring almost 100 photographs. Then, a more intimate selection was showcased at the Aga Khan Park in Toronto, lasting until May 2022. Now, you can travel the Silk Road in the form of the book, without leaving your living room. What makes 'The Silk Road' stand out is the combination of visuals with the author's personal insights. He offers a fresh, personal perspective on the historic trade route that connected the East and West for more than 1,600 years. His writing explores the exchanges that took place on the Silk Road, which continues to shape life today. From the bustling markets or ancient ruins, his insights add depth to the images. The foreword by historian Peter Frankopan provides historical context, but it is Wilton-Steer's own voice that really makes it worth a look. Through his lens, we are reminded that history is not just something of the past — it is very much alive today. And if a photo can tell 1,000 words, there are many more to tell. The Silk Road is no longer merely a mythical path you read about in history books. This book brings it to the present. Published by Hemeria, a publisher specializing in high-quality photo books, 'The Silk Road: A Living History' can be a great addition to your coffee table or bookshelf.
Arab News
12-05-2025
- Arab News
Book Review: ‘The Silk Road: A Living History'
Photographer Christopher Wilton-Steer's recently published book 'The Silk Road: A Living History' is more than just a travelogue or photo collection. Adorned with 150 original photographs, alongside personal reflections, it is a vivid reminder of the shared history that connects us all. The Silk Road, which began during the Han Dynasty around 130 B.C., played a pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of goods, cultures and ideas. By the 15th century, however, its influence began to wane. Wilton-Steer set out to build a new bridge between the past and present, and between the old and new. Undertaken just before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world, Wilton-Steer retraced that historic Silk Road path between July and November 2019, traveling 40,000 km using trains, buses, camels and horses to fully immerse himself in the places he visited. He took the scenic route, and let his shutter do the talking. Photographs were taken in such places as Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, and, of course, China. As the head of communications at the Aga Khan Foundation, a global nonprofit organization that works to improve quality of life in underdeveloped regions, the London-based Wilton-Steer brought his vision to life. After a pause due to worldwide lockdowns, his photographs from the journey were displayed at an open-air exhibition in 2021 at London's King's Cross, featuring almost 100 photographs. Then, a more intimate selection was showcased at the Aga Khan Park in Toronto, lasting until May 2022. Now, you can travel the Silk Road in the form of the book, without leaving your living room. What makes 'The Silk Road' stand out is the combination of visuals with the author's personal insights. He offers a fresh, personal perspective on the historic trade route that connected the East and West for more than 1,600 years. His writing explores the exchanges that took place on the Silk Road, which continues to shape life today. From the bustling markets or ancient ruins, his insights add depth to the images. The foreword by historian Peter Frankopan provides historical context, but it is Wilton-Steer's own voice that really makes it worth a look. Through his lens, we are reminded that history is not just something of the past — it is very much alive today. And if a photo can tell 1,000 words, there are many more to tell. The Silk Road is no longer merely a mythical path you read about in history books. This book brings it to the present. Published by Hemeria, a publisher specializing in high-quality photo books, 'The Silk Road: A Living History' can be a great addition to your coffee table or bookshelf.
