With over 2,000 years of history, Kashgar – once the gateway to China on the ancient Silk Road – remains a vibrant center of Uyghur culture. The city continues to preserve its rich musical, architectural, and craft traditions, while embracing modern development in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
00:00With over 2,000 years of history, Kashgar was the gateway to China for the ancient Silk Road.
00:09The city remains a vital center of Uyghur culture, where its musical, architectural and craft traditions are kept alive.
00:19These instruments are traditional to our Uyghur people.
00:26This one is called a tambour, it's the longest of our instruments and holds an important place in our culture,
00:31being the main instrument during the traditional ceremonies, especially in mucan performances.
00:36This other one is a rub-up, another key instrument of the Uyghur people and one of the most important in our musical traditions.
00:43This is the dotar, equally essential and never absent from our music.
00:46My profession is also related to the tambour, I started learning it as a child with my father.
00:51Now I work at the local culture company in our community.
00:54Everyone learns at least one of these instruments from a young age.
00:58We have always passed on the music and cultural traditions for these instruments,
01:02and now our children are learning them too.
01:06From childhood, every Uyghur family teach their children at least one of these instruments,
01:12passing on music and traditions that strengthen the community's cultural identity.
01:18And now our children are learning too much, and they will return to our students.
01:22We have always passed on their minds to their children whose parents are safe.
01:56The Chinese government has allocated $39 billion to heritage restoration, infrastructure, and tourism projects in Xinjiang, strengthening the local economy and preserving Uyghur culture.
02:12Kashgar is my favorite place in all of China. It blends modern development with a unique local culture.
02:21The markets, the music, and the historic architecture feels like I'm experiencing a city that has preserved its identity throughout the centuries.
02:28It's an unforgettable experience for me.
02:30From Kashgar, a historical city where music, traditions, and development intertwine, Uyghur culture continues to be a bridge between past and present, preserving its richness and sharing it with the world.
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