Where's Malcolm? travel blog

A view from the train to Kashgar.

Another view from the train to Kashgar.

The Apak Khoja Mausoleum.

A close up of the Apac Khoja mausoleum.

The super-friendly and helpful guide outside the Abakh Hoja Tomb.

A dancer inside the vineyard next to the Apak Khoja mausoleum.

Old men talk outside the Id Kah mosque in central Kashgar.

Children play near the Id Kah mosque square.

You get followed by curious children when wandering the backstreets of Kashgar.....

........who cheer up no end when you take their photo.

A first for me - seeing Kashgari's praying in their hundreds on...

........and praying in the backstreets of the new town.

Its enough to make you a vegetarian. Butchers on the streets of...

Old town Kashgar.

Backstreets of the old town.

One of the old-style doors that are found all over Kashgar.

Herding sheep through one of the old town areas of Kashgar.

Shoeing a horse, old town Kashgar.

A small metalworkers shop in old town Kashgar.

Looking down into the back of the metalworkers shops. This sight was...

The front of the metalworks shops, selling just about anything that can...

Back to the alleys of the old town.

An interesting building on the edge of old town Kashgar.

A rickety old bridge, one of the many ways to enter parts...

Entering the Yusof Has Hajib mausoleum......

......and his mausoleum.

A man gets his hair shaven and beard trimmed outside the Sunday...

"Boish-boish" ("coming through") - herding sheep into the Sunday livestock market.

Inside the Sunday livestock market.

I was told that the wool from these goats are used in...

Sheep are tied up in lines at the Sunday livestock market.

A deal is done and a cow changes ownership.

Negotiating over the purchase of a horse.

Trying out a horse and cart.

Inside Kashgar market on a Sunday.

A stall at Kashgar market.

Negotiating over a purchase at Kashgar market.

A pashmena stall at Kashgar market.


The train journey from Turpan takes 24 hours, and on it I meet and American guy called Chris and Dominique from France, and the three of us hang out together whilst in Kashgar. The scenery on the way surprises us all; there's less sandy desert and more snow capped mountain peaks than we expect.

I've heard many good reports of Kashgar berfore arriving here, and its worth the hype - its impossible to wander around Kashgar and not be impressed. The feel of Kashgar is very different from Eastern China - the population is 90% muslim Uigher and they are only to happy to point out that they are very much different from the Han Chinese which make up the majority of China's population.

The guidebooks tell you to wander around the old town of Kashgar, but the truth is that Kashgar is a rare city where both the old town and newer areas are worth exploring. You'll see loads of small muslim shops selling everything from breads to metalwork to silks, and thankfully not much tourist tack.

One our first full day, we take a local bus out to the Id Kah mausoleum (impressive), and a small vineyard and small museum nearby (not so impressive), and wander back towards the old town. The old town is in fact made up of a number of small pockets close together and are very labyrinthine, so Chris and I spend the rest of the day just wandering around the town exploring.

Kashgar's main tourist draw is its Sunday Market, which is really two markets - the livestock market (the better one I think) on the outskirts of the city and the bazaar not far from the city centre. Both are very lively, and we get up early for the livestock market, which isnt really in full swing until midday. There's loads of activity, and you have to watch your back as horses and donkeys are tried out before exchanging hands. Its onto the huge bazaar for the afternoon, where we see endless stalls selling everything you could imagine - carpets, tourist tack, food, silks, kitchenware, medicine, and a lot more besides.

I've been really impressed with Kashgar, its always interesting and there's no doubt its one of my favourite places in China.

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