Central Asia
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Tiananmen Square. As there are no direct flights from the UK to Xinjiang, we first flew to Beijing, where there was time for sightseeing. Next day we flew 3 to 4 hours back west to the capital of Xinjiang, Urumqi. |
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Subashi Buddhist
temple ruins (3rd century), Xinjiang. The region is of cultural
significance to the Han Chinese. It is thought that Central Asian merchants
first brought Buddhism to |
Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang. One of the most hostile deserts on earth. The name is sometimes said to mean 'go in and you will never come out'. |
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Hotan - open-air jade market by Yulongkax River. Precious and semi-precious stones found in the river are offered for sale. The two men on the right are wearing the traditional Uyghur hat. The men on the left are Han Chinese. |
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Uyghur girls selling bread - Kargilik, a small town where we stopped to buy lunch. Uyghurs are the main ethnic group in Xinjiang, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China with an area of over 1.6 million sq. km. There is also a large population of Han Chinese and many smaller ethnic groups, including Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz and Mongol people. |
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Yarkand, Xinjiang - Uyghur men in front of Amanni Shahan mausoleum. I was waiting outside the mosque after Friday prayers, taking a few photographs. One of these men, who spoke a little English, welcomed me to Xinjiang and asked me some questions - where was I from, is England a Muslim country etc. A small crowd of onlookers quickly gathered round, curious about this tall, strange-looking person. Finally I shook some hands, said goodbye and, as I was leaving, asked if I could take a photograph. |
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Yarkand old town. Many of the shops open directly onto the street, such as this workshop in the metalworkers' quarter. |
Yengisar, Xinjiang - traditional knife factory |
Kashgar, Xinjiang old town - market stall selling poster paints |
Click to see Uyghur woodcarving from the Apakh Hoja mosque complex |
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Kashgar - livestock market. The market is a huge dusty crush of cattle, fat-tailed sheep, goats, donkeys, horses etc. with bargains being struck by a diverse mix of traders including Uyghurs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. This was one of the places on my trip that I most enjoyed photographing. |
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Kashgar - livestock market |
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Kashgar - livestock market |
Kashgar - livestock market |
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Near Lake Kara Kul,
Xinjiang. We
travelled along the |
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Chorsu market |
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Khiva, Uzbekistan - city walls |
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Khiva skyline. Once an important intellectual and religious centre, Khiva is rich in madrasahs, mosques and minarets. The city was an important stopping point on the Silk Road . |
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Khiva at night |
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Khiva - Oq Shihbobo bastion |
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Bukhara, Uzbekistan - Bolo-Hauz mosque (1718). The emir's official place of worship. The pillars are made of elm from Samarkand. |
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Tajik girl - Nurota, Uzbekistan. Like other countries in the region, and Uzbekistan has populations of various ethnic minorities. The small town of Nurota has a mainly Tajik population. |
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Lizard - Aydarkul Lake, Uzbekistan |
Sher Dor madrassah
(17th century) - |