Kashgar (China)

A famous north-south crossroad in the Taklakaman Desert, the oasis town of Kashgar (whose name means 'Jade Cavern') has managed to maintain an authentic charm, despite being modernized. The Id Kah Mosque and Abakh Hoja's Mausoleum are two places you must put on your travel itinerary.

But Kashgar's biggest attraction is its market. Every Sunday (dating back 1,500 years) the town turns into a gigantic bazaar, considered to be the biggest in Central Asia. Farmers and traders from neighboring regions and countries descend - sometimes 100,000 at a time - to sell anything and everything you can imagine ; horses, camels, clothes, crops, tea, crafts, hairdressing services, tin-smithing...anything goes!