Southern Xinjiang Silk Road Intangible Cultural Heritage Artisan Journey｜“Living Intangible Heritage”

A greatly underestimated pilgrimage of craftsmanship --- Have you ever seen— An elderly man sitting by an earthen wall, fixing leather with his foot, hand-hammering the handle of a Yingjisha small knife? In the old city of Shache, a blind artist playing the dutar and singing the Twelve Muqam, his voice penetrating century-old alleys? An old craftsman by the Hotan River, dyeing Adras silk inch by inch with plant dyes, as if writing a colorful epic? This is not a museum exhibition, This is a “deep intangible heritage journey” I completed in Southern Xinjiang in 2024. This time, we don’t chase scenic spots, But follow the pulse of the ancient Silk Road, Starting from Kashgar, crossing three historic towns, Visiting 7 still-operating handcraft workshops, Touching those traditional skills that are about to disappear but are still alive. 📍 Route Overview Kashgar → Yingjisha (Small Knife Village) → Shache → Hotan (Luopu Adras Workshop) → Kuqa 🗓 Recommended Duration: 8-10 days｜🧵 Intangible Heritage Experience + Cultural Documentary｜💰 Budget: 4500–6500 RMB/person 🌤 Best Seasons: March – May, September – November (avoid summer heat and sandstorms) --- 🔪【Day 1-2】Kashgar → Yingjisha Small Knife Village｜Searching for the last “Western Region Sharp Blade” ✅ Arrive at “China’s Small Knife Hometown” — Sahantown, Yingjisha County - Visit the Yusup family, generations of knife makers, watch how they forge, quench, and inlay silver wire - Hands-on experience polishing knife handles (safe version teaching) 📷 Documentary Photography Tips: - Capture the flickering furnace light on the blacksmith’s face - Record the entire process of a small knife from iron bar to finished product 📌 Fun Fact: Yingjisha small knives have a history of over 600 years, once a self-defense tool for Silk Road merchants, now a national intangible cultural heritage. 🏨 Stay in a comfortable hotel in Yingjisha County Town｜About 300 RMB/night 💡 Reminder: Finished knives cannot be carried on flights; please ship back or keep locally. --- 🕌【Day 3-4】Yingjisha → Shache → Yarkand Khan Palace｜Listening to the Ghost Songs of the Muqam ✅ Arrive at Shache Ancient City — former capital of the Yarkand Khanate (15th-17th century) - Visit the restored Yarkand Khan Palace and Amanishahan Memorial Park - She was the organizer of the “Twelve Muqam” and the soul of Uyghur culture 🎶 Must Experience: - Listen to an authentic Twelve Muqam performance in an old teahouse (often with blind artists improvising) - Evening stroll in Karez Bazaar, watch artisans weaving flower hats and carving copperware 🔥 Bonus Activity: Sign up for a one-day “Intangible Heritage Study Class” to learn simple Muqam rhythms or flower hat embroidery 🏨 Stay in a boutique guesthouse inside Shache Ancient City｜With courtyard and painted dome｜About 350 RMB 📌 Cultural Trivia: Shache is the only city in the world to fully preserve the Twelve Muqam. --- 🧵【Day 5-6】Shache → Hotan → Luopu Adras Silk Workshop｜Entering the colorful secret realm of “tie-dyeing” ✅ Arrive at Buyaxiang, Luopu County, Hotan — one of the birthplaces of Chinese Adras silk - Enter workshops still using traditional techniques, witness the entire “tie-dyeing” process: 1. Warp stretching frame → 2. Pattern tying → 3. Plant dyeing (walnut shell, pomegranate flower, madder, etc.) → 4. Hand weaving 📷 Perfect photo scenes: - Craftsman’s hands covered in natural dye, spreading colorful warp threads under sunlight - Adras silk fluttering in the wind, like a rainbow fallen to earth 🎁 Custom scarves available: choose pattern, color, and sign as a keepsake (about ¥200-400 each) 🏨 Stay in a four-star hotel or cultural-themed guesthouse in Hotan city｜About 380 RMB 📌 Fun Fact: “Adras” means “the beauty of tie-dyeing’s flowing elegance,” with patterns symbolizing desert, water ripples, almonds, and other Western Region motifs. --- 🏰【Day 7-8】Hotan → Kuqa (Kucha) → Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves｜Knocking on the first door of Buddhism’s eastward spread ✅ Travel east along the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, entering the ancient Kucha Kingdom area (modern Kuqa) - Visit Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (China’s earliest excavated grottoes, older than Dunhuang) - See the mottled murals of flying apsaras, Jataka tales, and diamond-shaped patterns - Listen to guides recount the history of monk Kumarajiva preaching and translating scriptures here 📸 Photography Tips: - Use low-light cameras to capture remaining colors inside the caves - Compare modern Uyghur art with ancient Kucha murals to explore heritage continuity ✅ Evening stroll on Kuqa Old Town’s Hestan Road - Colorful doors and windows, carved balconies, clinking copperware, like a Central Asian fairy tale town - Experience traditional barbershops, century-old coppersmith shops, and herbal tea houses 🏨 Stay in a boutique guesthouse in Kuqa Old Town｜Some rooms retain Uyghur decorative style｜About 360 RMB 📌 Historical Trivia: Kucha’s music and dance once reached Chang’an; five of the ten Tang dynasty court music pieces originated here. --- Budget Breakdown (per person｜Cultural depth standard): Item Cost ------ ------ Round-trip transport (Kashgar in/out, optional train hard sleeper/flight) ¥1000–1800 Car rental (Toyota SUV with driver-guide) ¥2500 Accommodation (8 nights average ¥350) ¥2800 Tickets + intangible heritage experience fees (knife making, Adras customization, guides) ¥600 Meals + souvenirs (knife replicas, Adras silk, dried fruits, etc.) ¥800 Total ¥4500–6500 > 💬Note: Choosing shared rides + standard accommodation can keep costs under ¥4000; private car + expert guide can reach ¥7500. --- 🌟 Why is this route called the “Southern Xinjiang Intangible Heritage Artisan King Line”? > Because it gathers three irreplaceable values: ✅ Skills truly alive These are not performance intangible heritage, but livelihoods supporting families and passing down generations. Every knife you buy in Yingjisha supports a family’s income; Every Adras silk you take away might be a mother’s dowry for her daughter. ✅ Layers of culture From the Yarkand Khanate to the Kucha Buddhist Kingdom, From Islamic art to Indo-Greek Buddhist relics, This route is a walking textbook of Western Region civilization. ✅ Perfect for slow photography and deep reflection No waterfall or snow mountain shock, But it will make you pause and ask: “How much have we really lost that we shouldn’t have?” --- 📌 Action Suggestions: 🎯 If you are: - A cultural photographer wanting warm, story-filled works → wrinkles, hands, eyes here tell stories - A designer/artist seeking Eastern aesthetic inspiration → Adras patterns and copper carvings worth a year of study - A traveler wanting to understand real Xinjiang → no filters here, just life itself 🔥 Best travel times recommended: - Spring (late March–May): mild climate, apricot blossoms, festive atmosphere - Autumn (September–October): fruit harvest, lively markets, soft light ⚠️ Friendly reminders: - Respect local religious customs (no photos in mosques, women avoid excessive exposure) - Ask permission before photographing people, small red envelopes as thanks (¥5–10 is enough) --- This autumn, don’t just focus on Northern Xinjiang’s fall colors. Go to Southern Xinjiang, On an afternoon of hammering small knives, Before a slowly unfolding colorful silk, Let time slow down, And listen to the wind that has blown for thousands of years along the Silk Road.