A folk troupe of Huayin shadow play performs in front of an ancient palace. The traditional shadow play is popular among the old. It's a very old folk art popular in Shaanxi province. Cities along the Silk Road are enormous treasure troves of history, culture, architecture and the arts. As its name suggests silk was the most prized good transported from China to the continents of Europe and Africa. The prosperous trade along the Silk Road lasted for more than 2,000 years. [Photo by Jiang Bin / For China Daily]