Popular Chinese proverb says, "If you have been to Xinjiang but have not visited Kashgar, it means that you have not been to Xinjiang"... For Kashgar and its Sunday Bazaar is the highlight of Xinjiang. The word "bazaar" in Uighur means actually "fair". The custom of making it to the "fair" in time is widely spread in those places, where Uighurs live and Kashgar is world famous for the Sunday bazaar.
The bazaar plays a major role in the culture of Central Asia. Fresh produce is procured from th bazaar on a daily basis to prepare food. All items for daily life can be bought at the bazaar. News are exchanged and spread, rumors too of course. It is a meeting place of the first order. The Central Asian bazaars are organized in such a way that the "fair" grounds are sectioned into themes, all stalls of vegetable sellers are in one place, all shoes in another row, stationary and haberdashery up front. The carpenters in the back, the animal "fair" on the side... Just in the way we Westerners have organized our supermarkets. Though the Sunday Bazaar of Kashgar is best known, drawing sellers and buyers from far away, the entire old town of Kashgar could actually be described as a "fair" ground, offering anything the Kashgaris need on a daily basis. The "Central- and Western Asian International market" has over 1000 permanent stalls to chose from, surrounded by movable booths that offer even more wares. What strikes the foreign visitor first are the handcrafted items in the street though, utility goods made with very simple technological means but great skills. The copper pots and pans, stacked high on street corners, in another narrow lane, wood ladles and all matters of wood carved items used in the kitchen, to roll out dough, adorn home baked bread, all the multicolored cradles and toys for babies await their customers, and all the accessories for animal husbandry are hanging from massive hooks for every family holds their own domestic animals.
Right on the sidewalk an Uighur master and his apprentice forge the renowned Yangishar knife in the same way as 200 years ago. It is distinguished by its wonderful finishing and elegant shape, with its handle enchased by silver or copper, decorated with pearls, shells, iron castings, immediately recognizable and therefore highly valued. Dive between the stalls displaying fabrics, never have you seen such a dazzling array of textiles, in every colour of the rainbow, multi patterned, lace trimmed, glittering and shining, interwoven with gold threads, embroidered with beads and paillettes, waiting to be turned into women's garments. Or try on a skull cap, next to the classic black with white embroidery men's caps there are a multitude to chose from. Down another lane, at a jewellers you might be offered semi-antique nomadic bracelets, rings and earrings and other tribal adornments from all over Central Asia. And last but not least, Kashgar is the center of the carpet trade, as the many Pakistani carpet dealers in Kashgar will testify to. It is quite remarkable indeed that in a country that is considered the world leader in machine made pass produced plastic and pressed metal goods, deft hands in Kashgar have preserved the traditional ways.
The bazaar, indispensably so, also has a food hall section, where fragrant steam raises from huge woks, promising hot delicious Uighurfood served in the classic food bowl with an old spoon or a pair of chop sticks. Dig in as you watch the man at the laghman stall spin dough artistically through the air to get endless strings of "spaghetti" which are swiftly catapulted into boiling water.
Kashgar became a major point on The Great Silk Road because when caravans arrived, they had either just completed the grueling trip along the Taklamakan desert, or had crossed through some of the worlds highest mountain ranges. In Kashgar men, camels, horses, renewed their strengths. The traders got back into shape, ready to sell, buy, and be off again. The Kashgaris were thus used to hurry up and make it to the "fair" in time to set their eyes on some of the most exotic wares you could think of, just arrived all the way from China, India, Persia, Baghdad, Damaskus... Exactly as in olden times, travellers arriving in Kashgar today have either just experienced the extreme climate and barren landscape of the Taklamakan or have crossed the Kunjerab pass of the Karakorum range, come in via Tashkurgan from Tajikistan over the Kulma or directly from Kyrgyzstan over the Torugart pass, high and adventurous mountains. What awaits them apart from the bazaar is an oasis of legendary hotels, a cool beer and the same laghman of yore. Seemingly, nothing much has changed but change is in the air. How much longer will the fascinating old town with its century old structure and its wonderful flair be kept intact? Can the ambition to become a modern, sleek, spanking new city be curbed in time? For Kashgar has historic buildings of significance to show for. A sightseeing tour starts in the center of Kashgar's old town with the imposing Id Kah Mosque, the largest in China. At prayer times and especially on Fridays, the square in front of Id Kah is bustling with exotic looking Kashgaris. The tomb of Abak Khoja from VII century is 5km from here, it is considered the holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang and the mausoleum with its beautiful tile work draws tremendous numbers of pilgrims who in the past used to lay rams horns on the cornices, as offerings for good health and prosperity. The entrance to the crypt is decorated with horse-tails on high poles. With Kashgar having been a center for Muslims of the entire Eastern Islamic world it is not surprising that a great many shrines and tombs of Sheikhs and other holy men are scattered all about the outskirts of town. The peaceful aura they exude are a much welcome contrast to the bazaars.
Two buildings that have played a role in world history are the former British consulate, Chini Bagh, made famous by the autobiography of Lady McCarthy, consul McCarthy's wife and hostess to a stream of fascinating travellers to the area for 17 years, who resided behind the very walls where nowadays official guests are accommodated. The Seman hotel with its dormitories is the crumbling former Russian embassy, whose charm of an Empire palace has been preserved.
Originally Kashgar was a fortified city, in the style of other Central Asian cities of the time. There was a distinct separation between the inner and outer walls, the old and now town, hardly distinguishable nowadays.
With the mineral rich Tarim river, the Kyzyl Su (red river) and other streams nearby it was possible to develop an intricate irrigation system. Luscious gardens, fruit yards and plantations produced a variety of fruits and vegetables that the area became famous for. Pomegranate, some of the tastiest melons in the world, dozens of varieties of grapes, figs, peaches and apricots, apples, pears, plums were consumed locally, fresh from the tree or preserved in dry form, or exported as far as Russia. Meat based stews constituted the main national dishes, to which flavor was added with diced oignions, carrots, eggplant, cabbage and many more vegetables. The fruit and vegetable market are at the heart of the bazaar and make for some of best backgrounds for a photo shoot. The sellers will be delighted to have their photos taken.