Fancy some Russian woodcarvings? How about silverware from the United Arab Emirates? Well, if you want a market with them both, along with a mind-boggling array of international and Chinese goods, look no further than Urumqi's Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar (二道桥大巴扎 Èrdàoqiáo Dà Bāzā).

For many, one of the best starting, or ending, points of a tour of Xinjiang is the 130-year-old Erdaoqiao bazaar. Though the KFC and Carrefour department store adjacent to the Erdaoqiao Mosque somewhat spoil the feel of authenticity, the bazaar is a great place to see local Uyghur and Kazakh buyers and sellers doing their thing, just as they've been doing for centuries.

Among the bazaar's 660-some stalls you'll find around thousands of Uyghur goods, including dried fruits and nuts, traditional musical instruments, jade, hand-sewn embroidery and Yengisar daggers.

Upon nightfall the market transforms into a bustling cultural area replete with Uyghur song and dance. Though parts of the market are starting to resemble many a Han Chinese tourist trap, the streets north of the bazaar remain uniquely Uyghur, uniquely Urumqi, uniquely Xinjiang.

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