Being interested in desert and Chinese Silk Road culture, 24 high-school students from Germany have come to experience the desert corridors along this ancient trading route in Zhangye city, Northwest China's Gansu province.

The land Silk Road originated from ancient China, and was largely expanded by an imperial envoy Zhang Qian in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24).

Besides serving as a trading route, the Silk Road, which spanned over Asia and Europe from West China, also contributed in cultural exchanges among the different civilizations along the route.

The research on land Silk Road is popular among the youth in Germany, and more young people are coming to China to experience and study it, according to the leader of the 24-student research group.

The German students ride camels in the desert in Zhangye city, Northwest China's Gansu province, June 14, 2015. [Photo/CFP]