古老烤肉店قەدىمى تونۇر كاۋاپخانسى

Entering Shache: The Twelve Muqams echo in the ancient city of the Silk Road 🚪 Shache Ancient City Gate: The Watcher of Thousands of Years This ancient city gate of the Ming Dynasty is a relic of the Karakhanid Dynasty. The mottled city walls seem to still tell the camel bells of the Silk Road caravans. The morning sun shines obliquely on the khaki city wall. The light and shadow under the doorway interweave, and it seems that you can see the lively scene of Sogdian merchants leading camels in and out. The most surprising thing is that at sunset, the entire city gate will be dyed golden. Remember to bring a camera to capture this beautiful moment! (Tips: The Uyghur uncle selling baked buns at the city gate, his family’s ancestral recipe of Pi Yazi buns must be tried) 👑 Amanisha Khan Memorial Tomb: The Eternal Garden of the Mother of Muqam This blue and white building complex buried Amanisha Khan, the queen of the Yarkand Khanate in the 16th century and the collector and compiler of the Twelve Muqams. It is said that the pomegranate tree in the courtyard was planted by her own hands, and it blooms with fiery red flowers every summer. Standing in front of the glazed wall inlaid with the lyrics of the Twelve Muqams, you can seem to hear the sound of the dutar from five hundred years ago. That day, I met an old Uyghur artist who improvised and sang "Lakmuqam". His desolate voice made all the tourists stop and listen. 🔥 Ancient barbecue shop قەدىمى تونۇر كاۋاپخانسى: A century of fireworks This old shop founded in 1903 still uses the ancestral naan pit to roast lamb. Watching the fifth-generation heir, Uncle Abdullah, stick the meat pieces strung with red willow branches into the naan pit, the crackling sound when the grease dripped was the most tempting advertisement. It is highly recommended to pair it with the store's homemade "Muselles" (a kind of grape medicinal wine), the sweet and sour taste perfectly neutralizes the greasiness of the barbecue. (Real experience: When you sit down, you will be fed watermelon enthusiastically. Locals regard "serving watermelon first and meat later" as a way of entertaining guests) 🛍️ Kazanqi Old Street: A Living Silk Road Museum The adobe houses on both sides of this thousand-year-old street hide countless handicraft workshops. Following the sound of jingling knocking, I walked into the copperware shop, where 90-year-old Grandpa Maimaiti was hammering copper pots using traditional methods. The girl selling earthenware on the corner said that the formula of her family's colored pottery glaze came from Persian merchants. The most amazing thing is to encounter folk artists performing Dawaizi (high-altitude tightrope walking), without any protective measures, somersaulting on the 15-meter-high rope, which makes people sweat in their palms. ⛹️ Hundred-day carnival in People's Square Locals say "If you haven't been to Sportsman, you haven't been to Shache." Every evening, this open square will become a giant party: children run after kites, young people dance Sama dance, and old men in the corner fight on the "Terke" (Uyghur chess) board. Buy a 3-yuan handmade ice cream and sit on the steps, watching the sunset gild everyone's smile. This ancient city that lives in epic, every corner is interpreting the true legend of the Western Regions. When the melody of the Twelve Muqams mixed with the aroma of baked buns drifts over, you will understand why it is said that "Xinjiang's daytime is in Kashgar, and its night is in Shache". #Western Region Culture #Twelve Muqams #Silk Road Ancient City #Shache Food #Xinjiang Humanities