Kashgar Sunday Bazaar

Kashgar's market tradition is old enough to be part of why the city exists, and though a large permanent bazaar now trades daily, the Sunday livestock market is the survival of the weekly pattern: sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys and horses brought in from the countryside from early morning, tied in rows, inspected, argued over and sold with a handshake, then loaded into trailers, motorbikes and car boots for the trip home. Horses are trotted up and down a lane to be tried. Around the edges, cooks grill lamb, boil offal and bake nan in tandoors, and the smoke sits over the whole ground.

Highlights

• The livestock rows - sheep, cattle, donkeys and horses tied for sale.
• The horse trials - animals trotted along a lane for buyers.
• The handshake deals - bargaining concluded by hand rather than paper.
• The food stalls - lamb grilled, offal boiled and nan baked at the edges.

When to go

Sunday morning, from around eight until early afternoon; it winds down after lunch. April to June and September to October are the most comfortable seasons. Arrive early for the busiest trading.

Before you go

It is a working animal market: muddy, loud, and not sanitised for visitors. Photographing traders without asking is resented. Sturdy shoes matter, and the smell is considerable.

Nearby

The old city lies west; the Karakoram Highway runs south.