Uyghur people watch a rooster fight at a bazaar in Kashi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The local bazaar, or market, is a key part of the lifestyle in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, whether it is the international bazaar in downtown Urumqi, or the small bazaars in remote villages which only trade one specific product or only open on a certain day.

It might be the geographic location of the region, resting right on the ancient Silk Road, that fostered the tradition of trade and business.

In Kashi, southern Xinjiang, bazaars form at almost every major road intersection in villages and townships.

In rural areas, bazaars don't open every day, but rather form once a week, mostly on Sundays or Fridays. Different bazaars in adjacent townships usually open on different days for people's convenience. Residents in nearby villages or from kilometers away flock to the bazaars to buy food and groceries they need and can also put their surplus goods on sale.

Bazaars on Sundays are quite professional in Kashi. There are bazaars specifically for trading cattle, usually in the suburbs of the city. In the downtown areas, there are bazaars that trade in clothing material. There are even pigeon bazaars in some places.

Some bazaars are not necessarily for trade - entertainment as unusual as rooster fighting, a traditional local sport, can form the basis of a bazaar.

Much more than merely a place to trade, the bazaars have become a key part of social life for the Uyghur people.

Global Times

Dealers unload bulls at a cattle bazaar in Kashi, at Xinjiang's biggest bazaar for the livestock trade. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Sheep are ready for sale at a cattle bazaar in Kashi. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

A stall owner waits for her customers at a bazaar which trades in clothing materials. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

An elderly man sells sweet drinks to people at a cattle bazaar in Kashi. Photo: Cui Meng/GT