In Kashgar, there are dozens of large and small "bazaars": corn bazaars, stone bazaars, hat bazaars, livestock bazaars, melon and fruit bazaars, flower pot bazaars, hat bazaars, kimbazars, musical instrument bazaars... If you want to sum up the characteristics of Kashgar in one word, "bazaar" may be the most appropriate. But kashgar people seem to have a softer affection for the Grand Bazaar to the east of the Old Town, and on Sundays people go straight from every corner of the Old City and from every village around Kashgar to the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar seems to hold people's nerves, and the Grand Bazaar is like a huge magnet.
On Sunday morning, Kurbanjan Yiming, who lives in the old city, rode a motorcycle and led his father into the crowd of people rushing to the bazaar. Cars, motorcycles, horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts and even camel carts run towards a common goal – the Grand Bazaar at the East Gate. The East Gate Grand Bazaar is located in the east of kashgar's old city, so the locals used to call it the "East Gate Grand Bazaar", the previous East Gate Grand Bazaar was only open on Sundays, and some people called it "Sunday Grand Bazaar". In 1992, the local government carried out the overall planning and transformation of the Grand Bazaar and its surrounding environment, and the transformed Grand Bazaar was named "Kashgar Central and West Asia International Trade Market", known as "Asia's largest bazaar", and the business hours were also changed to open every day. But the old city and the people of the surrounding counties and villages are still accustomed to coming here on Sundays to catch the bazaar, and every Sunday, it is full of traffic, and the flow of people is rushing, reaching 100,000 at the peak, a prosperous scene.
Kurbanjan Yiming's father is more than 70 years old, every Sunday the East Gate Grand Bazaar is his must-go place, the other day due to illness and unwell, two Sundays did not come to catch the bazaar, today he must let his son take him to the bazaar for a walk. There is no consumer demand for the old man to catch the bazaar, just to show his face on the bazaar, in the eyes of the old man, visiting the bazaar can cure the disease, see the colorful goods, see the crowds of people, hear the familiar shouting, say hello to familiar people, and listen to what new topics people are talking about. The old man smiled with a beard, as if his body was much more relaxed and his spirit was much greater. No wonder some people say that bazaar is the second life of kashgars.
Kurbanjan Yiming took his father to the bazaar.
In 1988, Uighur children followed their families to the bazaar.
Elderly Uighurs riding a donkey to chase a bazaar in 1988.
In 1991, the old city of Kashgar was on the road to Bazaar.
In 1994, on the way to catch the bazaar.
In 1995, the old city of Kashgar was on the road to Bazaar.
In 1999, kashgar old town on the road to bazaar.
In 2011, the old city of Kashgar was on its way to Bazaar.
From the perspective of kashgar old city people: not visiting the bazaar is not a Uyghur, and not understanding the bazaar is not counting the kashgar old city people. According to reports, in the land of bullets in the old city of Kashgar City, there are more than 20,000 businessmen, which is really "three people, there must be a businessman." These operators not only feed themselves and their families with their families, but also pay taxes to the state in accordance with the regulations. The bazaar is not only the spiritual pillar of the old city people, but also the material guarantee. As long as you go to the bazaar, everything is fine, the bazaar can feed people, the bazaar can feed people. Legend has it that a long time ago, a family of seven people saw that they were about to go to the pot without rice, the children leaned listlessly on the edge of the kang, and the helpless man grabbed a thin old hen in the corner of the wall and came to the bazaar, exchanged for 5 dimes and two buns, and divided the bun into small pieces, giving each person a piece to fill the hungry belly of the whole family. The man took 5 dimes in his arms and went to the bazaar. He bought 5 small handfuls of embroidered color threads for 5 dimes; sold them for 7 dimes and 5 cents, bought 10 more, and then sold them, and the hand became 1 yuan, and in half a day, 5 dimes doubled. Then he bought 10 pairs of shoelaces, sold them for 1 yuan and 5 corners, and used the money to buy a bag of plastic clothing buckles (which were very fashionable at that time) and sold them for 2 yuan 2 corners. In less than two months, he already had more than 100 yuan of money, and since then, his business has become bigger and bigger, becoming a famous "business elder" on the bazaar...
In Kashgar, Xinjiang, many people rely on bazaars for their livelihoods, but bazaars are not overwhelmed and hollowed out by the influx of "gold rushes", but prosper year by year. Bazaar runs through the history of Kashgar, whether it is Zhang Qian's surprise in the western region 2100 years ago to find the lively street market here; or the rise and development of the Silk Road, kashgar's commercial prosperity and international commercial port; or the reform and opening up for decades, giving Kashgar Bazaar new vitality; Kashgar Central and West Asia International Trade Market with modern style of large-scale bazaar, raising one rich family after another. In the context of today's economic globalization, Kashgar has once again ushered in a new historical opportunity: the geographical advantages of "five ports connecting eight countries, all the way to Europe and Asia" make it possible to be the "core city of the Central Asian economic circle", and a modern "Silk Road" is under construction.
In 2005, the Uyghur "Old Bazaar", which deals in silk and various headscarves.
In 2013, he guarded his father's cloth stall in the summer as a Uyghur "little bazaar."
Stalls that operate women's clothing of various nationalities are the most prosperous on Sundays. (2016)
Tea, spices, Chinese herbal stalls, continued the business for thousands of years. (1995)
Various dried fruits come from the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang and "meet" at the Kashgar Grand Bazaar. (2011)
The Uighur old man from the nearby countryside of the beginning drove the bazaar with a few brooms. (2015)
Most of the turban stalls of Uyghur aunts, all kinds of turbans and scarves, are produced in the mainland. (2016)
Follow Grandpa to catch up with Bazaar Uyghur boys. (1997)
The bazaar ended and drove home in the battery car. (2017)