Like on my other trips, it was fun to wander around the streets and meet the local people during the time in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 2005. As I walked along the main streets, people didn’t talk to me, or even seem to notice me. However, it was different once I stepped into their areas of daily life, such as the old town and bazaar.
Here the people were not necessarily super friendly and actually could be, rather shy. They gave a little smile or made eye contact, trying to understand what I was doing was I just there to stroll around, or was I doing something else? In many cases, my rugged camera bridged the gap between us. They would look at my camera and ask me with their eyes if I would take a photo, so we ended up we communicated through the camera.
Throughout the region, gentlemen wear a shirt with collar and a Muslim cap, while ladies wear traditional colorful dresses and beautiful scarves. The kids wear clothes in an ethnic design and they were gentle, shy and curious. Here are some portraits of the local people I encountered during my trip.
Very curious kids in the streets
The kids I came across never hid their curiosity towards foreign tourists. They were very cute, energetic, and greatly enjoyed seeing and talking to me as a foreign tourist. They asked me questions (though I didn’t understand their language), repeatedly asked me to take photos, and followed me until I left their locality. Every time they heard a snapshot sound, they whooped for joy.
Proud merchants and shop owners in the bazaar
The shop owners in the bazaars were also approachable. When they noticed my camera, they would proudly show me their products and gesture for me to take a photo.
This food stall was extremely busy, selling every piece of pumpkin as soon as it was put on the plate. The calm stall owner smiled at me as I held my camera up to take this photo.
Despite asking me to take his photo, this man was still a little shy when I held the camera up.
This young man at a restaurant proudly showed me how he makes Laghman noodles.
This clever boy kept a tight hold on the reins of the donkey while his father was busy with a shopper.
Slow-moving time in Silk Road scenery
Time passes slowly in the villages and old towns. As we passed each other, this gentleman with his donkey offered me a ride.
People socializing in front of a mosque.
