Launched in 1980, NHK's renowned Silk Road series was the first foreign TV program allowed to film Silk Road inside communist China. The series sparked enormous interest. A quarter of a century later, NHK re-visits Silk Road with high-definition cameras. The first half of the journey is to Loolan, Tibet, Taklamakan Desert and Xian. The trip then continues from former Soviet Central Asia to the Middle East and Turkey. With its swirling mix of ethnic identities, this region is now carving out a new period of history led by the resurgence of Islam. NHK provides a new look at this modern-day Silk Road giving you a clear view of the regions' momentous changes.

Episode list:
The Flame and the Cross -- The South Caucasus
The Progeny of the Queen of Sheba -- Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Steep Road to the Oasis -- Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
From Wasteland to Motherland -- Central Asia
Echoes of Distant Prayers -- Syria and Lebanon