Author: karl

Xinjiang bazaar culture is more than shopping. A market trader of 23 years explains bazaar days, tea houses, haggling and how to visit one properly.

Xinjiang wedding traditions from a photographer who joined a Uyghur nikah in Kashgar and a Kazakh betashar near Nalati: gifts, dress code and etiquette.

Xinjiang Ramadan travel guide from a Muslim visitor: fasting hours, iftar street food in Kashgar, restaurant openings, etiquette and 2027 dates.

Xinjiang Corban Festival guide from a sheep farmer who spent Eid al-Adha in Kashgar: 2027 dates, Id Kah prayers, Kazakh horse games, food and travel tips.

Uyghur cooking class guide from three real lessons in Kashgar, Turpan and Urumqi: prices, booking tips, and which dishes you can cook again at home.

A UK spice importer tours Xinjiang spices at the source: cumin grades, chili flakes, nigella and the safflower-as-saffron trick, with real bazaar prices.

Xinjiang drinks guide from a Melbourne juice bar owner: kumis in a Kazakh yurt, boza in Kashgar, pomegranate presses and Yining kvass, with real prices.

A Tarim Basin soup road trip across Xinjiang: eat Xinjiang shorpa and meat soup town by town — Kashgar, Yarkand, Hotan, Kuqa, Korla — with a 5-day loop.

Xinjiang meat soups and Shorpa, a Cape Town cook guide: shorpa, laghman suyuq ash and naren, with stalls, prices and tips across Kashgar, Yarkand, Hotan.

Xinjiang desserts guide by a pastry chef: hand-churned Uyghur ice cream, matang sold by weight, halva, sanzi and yogurt ice, with real prices and tips.