We went to the Kashgar Sunday Market which is the biggest in Central Asia. It was filled with colourful cloth, tea, spices, carpets, dried fruit and nuts..
We bargained our way around the place, tried all sorts of foods and tea and had a great time. We all had expected to see this sort of market at more of the locations along the way but this did not happen. Most markets or Bazaars in Xinjiang are much more mundane and pedestrian. The Kashgar market is definitely worth visiting.
We wandered through old city of Kashgar. The streets were very narrow, doors weathered but ornate, tiled walkways etc. People still live in this town but are mostly old or have opened up their homes as shops for the tourists. People don’t want to live in these old areas anymore. The electricity and plumbing is limited and living would be very uncomfortable. The Chinese government has bull dozed most of the old town areas leaving just a small portion for tourists. They have built a second ‘old town’ with stronger bricks but still very similar in appearance to the ‘old old town’. It is sad to see the destruction of old villages all over the area but it is also understandable considering the lack of facilities and also the danger of earthquakes. Come see Xinjiang before it all goes! And before the fast train makes it like a cruise ship type of town.
