17th August : Kashgar Sunday Animal Market

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Kashgar Sunday animal market has always been on my bucket list, so I was pleased that finally the day had come to visit it. A 20RMB taxi ride at horrendous speed with the now expected weaving and dodgem driving, we arrived at the new location of the Sunday Animal Market. Every farmer it seems from a 50km radius brings his stock to this market and attempts to buy or sell the animals. Apparently there can be as many as 10,000 people attend this market, though on the day we attended I reckon about half that.

Though there were many thousands of animals present all organised by type - there was the bull pen, the brown fat bottomed sheep yard, the white haired goats, the camels, the donkeys, the horses, the grumpy dusty looking yaks, the white sheep, the dairy cows, even stacks of goats. And in every area buyers were testing the animals, and arguing the price eventually settling on an amount with a loud slap of the hands. We saw horses being tested by racing down a narrow stretch of dirt in between all the people, screaming to a U turn, and then racing back in the cloud of dust.

There was a food section where fresh nan bread, hot samosas, pies, and kebabs were being cooked. We even saw a food stall with a bunch of tethered live sheep where the butcher was actually cutting their throats and then butchering the carcass so that the meat could be used in the next kebab or pie that was being prepared. In the couple of hrs we were there, we saw at least two sheep meet their maker, while the rest of the flock anxiously watched and waited their turn !! Talk about fresh meat !!

It was dusty, colourful, and loud sensory overload. It was just a great spectacle.

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Comments

[Monica]

Great descriptions
I've been enjoying your adventure. Fantastic descriptions and photos:) Enjoy the next stage.