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I spent most of the day traveling. First, I took a three and a half hour flight from Beijing to Urumqi. That's about the same distance as flying from New York to California.
China 2001 - Part Three: Kashgar
Dougburnett2003-11-24 10:03:29
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very dusty and full of insistently honking cars and trucks. It was starting to get dark and I was running out of energy, so I headed back to the hotel for a beer in the hotel's courtyard restaurant. After that, bed.
Kashgar, Saturday, September 8
I woke up before it was light - I was still on Beijing time. After breakfast I took a long walk in the old city. Immediately I felt I had left China and entered in Central Asia. The facial features and dress were completely different: the men were in scull caps and many women wore veils. Also the signs were written Arabic script along with Chinese.
First, I stepped into a vegetable market were I saw piles of melons and grapes, carrots and peppers. Then I walked down a street where there were woodworkers, tinsmiths, butchers, dentists, shoe repairmen and noodle maker all working side by side. Charcoal cook fires filled the street with smoke and donkey carts and tractors raised dust as they passed. I was in heaven - it was all the delightful chaos of Asia that I love so much.
At first I was a little shy about taking pictures - I wasn't sure how people would react - but I soon discovered that their was no problem at all. In fact, many people were flattered I wanted to take their picture. Once I got going, I shot two rolls before I knew it.
I soon arrived at the Id Kah Mosque and it gave me a few minutes rest from the dust and noise. The mosque is a modest building set in a peaceful garden right on the main square of the old town. The prayer hall was closed to non-Muslims, but looking in through the door I could see that it was completely unadorned.
On the west side of the mosque there were a few small stands selling jewelry and other trinkets. While looking, I found a couple of small silver stamps. They were conical shaped and had backwards Arabic script on the face. They were apparently
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See photographs from:
China Gallery
