| Kashgar
Sunday Bazaar |
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In the old districts of Kashgar, many
streets have  "bazaar"
as part of their names. Although most of the bazaars have
ceased to exist except in name, there are still some that
are still in use. From the names of these streets people
can imagine the past glory of this ancient trading city
on the Old Silk Road.
Today's Kashgar has preserved the old traditions. On the
streets one can find markets selling various commodities,
such as vegetables, fruits, food, garments, tools and
handicrafts.
Kashgar's markets differ from markets in other places
in that most of the commodities on sale are made by the
vendors themselves. Here tourists can see the handicrafts
actually being made in the workshops. Wandering along
an ancient street in Kashgar, it is as if one has traveled
back in time. At the shoes and caps market, the caps and
boots on sale are made on the spot.
Going ahead, one can hear the clanging of blacksmiths'
hammers. If you hear the sound of an electric saw, then
you can go and see carpenters making furniture and kitchen
utensils. If you smell the fragrance of baked cakes, you
will soon find an eating place serving nang, the staple
food of the Uygur people. The nang is broken into small
pieces and dipped in soup. It is said nang can be kept
for weeks without going stale.
These markets are open every day. The famous Sunday bazaar
has been operating since ancient times, and the scale
has become larger and larger, attracting merchants from
all over Xinjiang and neighboring countries such as Pakistan
and Kirghizstan.
 Farmers
from the suburbs of Kashgar come to the bazaar early in
the morning, using various means of transportation, such
as bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, trucks and donkey-drawn
carts. The highways leading to Kashgar are crowded with
these vehicles and pedestrians on Sunday mornings, as
well as with flocks of sheep.
On Sunday the whole city becomes a big market. It is hard
to tell the markets from the ordinary streets. Of the
20 markets, some are comprehensive ones, and some are
specialized markets selling local produce, arts and crafts,
garments, knives, timber, coal or animals. Among them,
the animal markets are the largest. Each day, more than
1,000 head of cattle, horses, sheep and camels are traded
here.
October is the best season to visit Kashgar, as the weather
is pleasant and the autumn harvest makes the markets more
brisk. In autumn, many types of fruit are on sale, such
as grapes, watermelons, Hami melons and figs. Other local
products include Xinjiang knives and carpets, which make
good souvenirs for tourists.
Uygur people make up most of Kashgar's inhabitants. On
the streets, one can seldom see people of other ethnic
groups except foreign tourists and tourists from other
parts of China.
On the ancient streets of Kashgar there are men wearing
Uygur skullcaps and women wearing brown veils. The Uygur
language is universally spoken by the local people.
After visiting Kashgar's Sunday bazaar, people will understand
the saying" without visiting Sunday Bazaar, one cannot
say he has visited Kashgar". If you have a chance
to visit Kashgar, don't miss the chance to visit its Sunday
Bazaar.
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