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| Cameras everywhere |
When I arrived in Kashgar after a 10-hour journey from Kyrgyzstan, I was not quite sure what to expect. As I entered the eastern city gate through the metal detectors set up at all entry points to the old town, I was surprised to find that Kashgar of yore simply has ceased to be. I had been expecting a certain extent of so-called disneyfication of the old town. What I had not expected, was that the government had torn down the entire place brick by brick and in its place had constructed an Uyghur theme park for Han-Chinese mass tourism. It seems Kashgar has received the old Tibet treatment. Uyghurs are reduced to roadside attractions, wearing colorful costumes and selling souvenirs (cowboy hats are especially popular for some reason). However, not everyone is quite as happy as the authorities would like to have you believe. There is a strong police presence with policemen in riot gear patrolling the streets and armored vehicles stationed at every entry point. Every couple of hours, fighter jets make a flyover.
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I did not want to take any photos of Uyghurs in the tourist part of town, since this felt like photographing zoo animals. This man invited me for a cup of tea in his workshop, which was located just outside of Disneyland. In that setting, I felt it was appropriate to ask him if I could take his portrait.
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| The most recent victim of the bulldozers is the Grand Bazaar of Kashgar. I was looking forward to checking it out, but when I arrived I discovered an area the size of several football fields was now as flat as a pancake and covered in fresh rubble. The buildings surrounding this area are still standing, hiding the rubble from view. These Uyghur women are sitting in front of one such building. Judging from the rubble behind them, the authorities are already working on pulling it down too. |
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Dance Performances are held regularly at every street corner. The above photo was taken at the Eastern Gate of the old town, where an elaborate show is held every day at 6 PM.
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| Only a tiny part of the old town is still standing. This will most likely have changed within the next few months, as these areas are all hidden behind signs like this one, prohibiting tourists from entry while the government works on flattening them as well. |
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| In the easternmost part of the old town, the authorities have created a sort of open-air museum of so-called ”ancient city ruins”. It is quite obvious that these ruins are not quite as ancient as the government wants you to think. For example, in the photo below this one there are modern tiles clearly visible in the center. |
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| Dozens of photo studios line the streets of the tourist area. These studios allow tourists to dress up in traditional Uyghur clothes and then shoot photos of them at instagrammable spots around town. Mosque entrances are especially popular. Apparently, the term cultural appropriation is not yet a thing in China… |
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| Tourist maps such as this one are ubiquitous around the old town |
