Visit Kashgar, China

The great Silk Route city of Kashgar, a base for commerce and cultural exchange for countless centuries, is perhaps the most interesting and exciting city in western China.

Its celebrated Sunday Market, a chaotic mix of people and animals, is the single most captivating event in Xinjiang and thoroughly justifies the great distances crossed to reach it.

Sunday market

To cries of "bosh bosh!" ("Coming through!") farmers and traders from all over Southern Xinjiang and beyond converge once a week on the city to sell or buy anything from horses to hats, and a great deal besides.

The bizarre and wonderful sight of young men test-driving donkeys and horses, checking teeth and hooves, will stay with you forever.

Getting here

Getting here is also part of the fun. There are daily flights from Urumqi that pass directly over the stunning Tian Shan Mountains, or a train that winds its way into the mountains and on through the desert.

Whichever way you come, Kashgar will not disappoint. For those taking the train from Turpan it is well worth breaking the journey in Kuche, once an important center of Buddhist culture, with countless ancient cave frescoes nearby, and the ruined cities of Subashi and Tonggusibashi in easy reach.