Passing Down Arts and Crafts in Xinjiang

WE finally arrived in Kashgar, a city sitting on the edge of the country. Further west is the border with Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

- SONIA BRESSELER

The sound of the name “Kashgar” has always appealed to me like a sweet, albeit distant, melody. The journey of traveling to Kashgar takes you deep into China’s far western outback, making you feel closer to Tehran than Beijing. The city sparkles with a thousand hues reflecting off the deserts and mountains. It is covered in multiple layers of century-old dust, and resonates with the laughter and songs that have lasted through the millennia. Being the epicenter of trade and cultural exchanges in the past, the city has been regaining its status as the heart of the modern Silk Road. Here, artisans can be seen everywhere, hammering and chiseling in the back alleys, while traders are selling their wares in storefronts. Colorful bazaars bustle with life while donkey carts rush through the crowds. The delightful smells of grilled meat and the ethereal vapors of tea mingle together with the aroma of spices, while the constant sound of hammering scrap metal fills the air. It is possible for you to get lost inside the maze of alleys, both ancient and modern; then you can have tea and eat homemade kebabs to appreciate what the local Kashgar people can offer.

From my hotel room window, I have a bird’s-eye view of the city and am amazed at how vast and diverse it is. I also revel in its fascinating modernity that has mingled with the magnificent colors of the surrounding desert. It really is a city that people must see on the Silk Road. To fully understand China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, you have to put the map behind and from a lofty vantage point see the Taklamakan (the second largest desert in the world) in the east, the Kunlun Mountains in the south, the Pamir Plateau in the west, and the Tianshan Mountains in the north.

Visiting the Old City