Kashgar’s offerings to the street photographer are rich. The diversity of its architecture, colors, activity and faces make it an ideal location to capture the spirit of a city. So, what is the spirit of Kashgar? In a word: tradition. The way things are done in the Uyghur community within the Old City walls are...
Kashgar is a town as steeped in tradition as it is history, politics, religion and trade. Evidence of this can be seen throughout the streets of the Old City where artisans craft their wares outside and within the walls of their shops, employing methods that have not changed for at least a hundred years. As...
Hidden in the backs of buildings and alleyways in the Old City are the teahouses of Kashgar, which serve as the traditional meeting place for Uyghur men. Here, men gather before and after prayers for black tea and bread, which they soften by dipping into their cups. Pots of tea are heated over wood-burning stoves....
Though the Sunday Market in Kashgar is the largest and most famous, to catch a glimpse of Uyghur culture that is still relatively untouched by the hand of modernity, the rural village markets are a must. About 45 kilometers to the south east of Kashgar is the small village of Han Irik, which lies on...
Almost eponymous with Kashgar is its famous Sunday Market, which for centuries has played center stage to the art of buying and selling since the days of the ancient Silk Road. Though perhaps no longer a stopover for travel weary merchants, Kashgar, and particularly it’s Sunday Market, still attracts thousands of farmers from surrounding villages...
Day two in Kashgar was spent trying to secure a way back to Beijing in time for the Chinese New Year and our flight back to Seoul. This time of year is brutal for booking tickets and traveling in general around China as millions of people take advantage of their one to two week holidays...
After what seemed an interminable 20+-hour bus ride, we finally made it to Kasghar. It was well worth the trip. Immediately stepping off the bus and into the Kashgar afternoon sun you feel like you’ve not only crossed mountains and desert but a border into an entirely different country. Kashgar is an old city dating...
In Urumqi it is not uncommon to see billboards with Chinese, Uyghur Arabic Script, and Russian writing on them. This tells you much about Urumqi. With a population of around 2.3 million people, Urumqi is a Central Asian melting pot though the two predominant ethnic groups are the Han Chinese and the Uyghur, a Turkic...
Traveling China by train is indeed an incredible way to see the country. You can truly appreciate the vastness and the diversity of the landscape as well as the people who inhabit it. Leaving from Beijing West Station you begin to see the ethnic diversity not often associated with the country. Another feature of the...
Our last full day in Beijing was spent exploring the Forbidden City and watching the flag lowering ceremony in Tian’anmen Square. The Forbidden City is a complicated labyrinth of alleyways, palaces, gates and hidden gardens. Impressive in both its size and intricacies, it is no small wonder that this landmark is a draw for both...
