Across Eurasia, a transformation is underway. New transport corridors are being carved through mountain ranges, railways are linking previously isolated regions, and energy infrastructure is reshaping economic relationships between nations. This project aims to provide a first-hand perspective on these developments.

Each nation along the route has its own aspirations for regional connectivity, yet China has emerged as the dominant force in Eurasian infrastructure development. Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative represents a complex undertaking—part foreign policy strategy, part development programme, part geopolitical branding exercise. It has generated considerable attention in recent years, though relatively few attempts have been made to understand what this initiative means at ground level.

This expedition represents an exercise in slow travel—spending extended periods in each destination to better understand how Chinese-backed projects affect local communities and economies. The journey traces a path from Western Europe across the Balkans, through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, ultimately reaching East Asia. Along the way, these dispatches document the infrastructure, speak with those whose lives are being transformed, and attempt to make sense of one of the defining stories of our era.

Updates are shared regularly via social media. Follow the journey on Instagram for photographs from the road, and feel free to reach out via email at [email protected].