Part 2 of the wildly successful series on the best recipes for making Xinjiang Uyghur food at home. If you love the food, you’ve got to try it yourself!

At the heart of the debate over the destruction and rebuilding of Kashgar’s Old City is one primary assumption: Uyghur buildings are more reliable than the concrete, Chinese counterparts. They have stood the test of centuries of time.

But what if Uyghur buildings aren’t as indestructible as we think?

One of the most frustrating realities for any Xinjiang enthusiast or activist is the relative obscurity of the province and its Uyghur people. Unlike their Tibetan neighbors to the south, international understanding of Uyghur culture is tainted by the only kind of news that makes it out of the province: bad news.

Though they can be found throughout China, these Uyghur sweets somehow taste best when traveling through Xinjiang. At the bazaar in Kashgar, this stuff was so sticky that it ripped the braces right off the back of my upper teeth…

Another beautiful photo of life in Xinjiang. A Uyghur man gets a traditional shave on the streets of Kashgar.

To buy or not to buy…that is the question these two Uyghur boys ponder as they listen to a sales pitch at a Uyghur market in Xinjiang.

One of the most asked questions I receive from travelers who will be heading to Xinjiang this next travel season has to do with homestays. Is it possible to do a Uyghur homestay in Xinjiang?

A rawap is a “Uyghur long-necked lute without sympathetic strings”2. It is a symbol of Uyghur music and culture and one of the most common souvenirs that you’ll find in all the markets in Xinjiang.

A favorite destination among tourists and a symbol for infuriated activists, the Old City that has survived multiple centuries is now being demolished. In May of 2009 an article was published on FarWestChina debating the pros and cons of the destruction of Kashgar’s Old City, and an update on the situation is long overdue.

There is a poll up on the FarwestChina Facebook page right now that I’d love to get your opinion on. It has to do with how the world views Uyghur in light of all that has happened over the past year and a half (or longer, depending on your familiarity with Xinjiang history).