Day five in Xinjiang-A visit to the Kazakh folk tourism spot

Dominic Swire

Friday 22 August 2009

As mentioned previously, Xinjiang has 47 ethnic groups, the largest of any province or region in China. The two biggest are the Uygur ethnic group and the Han Chinese.

Today we were taken to the "Kazakh Folk Tourism Spot," a collective village promoting the culture of the local ethnic groups. Just by the huge brick archway we drove through to enter was a collection of shops selling a variety of products including some huge rolled carpets rolled up and standing next to the shop front.

One of the many small roads in the Kazakh tourist spot in Yili  prefecture, Xinjiang region, China. Photo taken on Friday 22  August, 2009.[Photo:CRIENGLISH.com]

Following a brief introduction from a guide we were able to board the local taxi service: a string of colorfully decorated horses and carts. The carts were open with a roof made of material with a red floral design and red tassels dangling down around the edges. We hopped on to the soft rug covering the base of the cart with our legs hanging out over the side, our feet just inches above the road. With a single command our driver set the animal in motion and we bounced merrily as the horse trotted through the village.

It was an extremely pleasant village, with many narrow tree-lined lanes bordered by brightly colored cottages and the occasional huge intricately painted gate-big enough for a horse to walk through. The clothes of the local villagers were equally interesting with many wearing traditional clothing, especially the older women who were usually wrapped in a colorful shawl and headscarf, and the men who sported traditional round hats, each one distinct in color and design.