Quick Answer: The Kashgar Sunday Livestock Market (喀什牛羊大巴扎) is held every Sunday on the eastern outskirts of Kashgar city. It's one of the largest livestock markets in Asia, where Uyghur, Kyrgyz, and Tajik traders buy and sell sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys, and camels. The market runs from early morning until about 2pm. Entry is free. Arrive by 9am for the best photography light and most active trading. Hire a taxi for about ¥50 round-trip from the city center.
Every Sunday morning, as the sun rises over the Taklamakan Desert's western edge, thousands of animals converge on a sprawling dusty ground east of Kashgar's old city. Sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys, and camels arrive in trucks and on foot from villages across the Kashgar oasis and the Pamir foothills. Their owners — Uyghur farmers, Kyrgyz herders, and Tajik traders — gather to conduct commerce the way it has been done here for centuries: face to face, hand to hand, in a cloud of dust and noise. This is the Kashgar Sunday Livestock Market, and it is not a show put on for visitors. It is real trade, raw and unfiltered.
For travelers to Kashgar, the market offers something increasingly rare: an authentic cultural experience that has changed remarkably little in decades. Whether you are a photographer chasing extraordinary images or a cultural traveler seeking genuine encounters at the crossroads of Central Asia, this market will leave a lasting impression. This guide covers everything you need to visit confidently and respectfully. For broader planning context, see our southern Xinjiang guide and our two-week Xinjiang itinerary.
The Kashgar Sunday Livestock Market — known locally as Yakshenbe Bazar (Sunday Bazaar) or, more formally, the Kashgar Niuyang Dabazha (牛羊大巴扎, literally "Cattle-Sheep Grand Bazaar") — is widely regarded as the largest weekly livestock market in Central Asia. Its roots stretch back centuries to a time when Kashgar was a major trading hub on the Silk Road, and merchants from as far as Persia, India, and the steppes of modern-day Kyrgyzstan gathered here to trade animals, wool, leather, and feed.
Today, the market handles thousands of animals every Sunday. During peak autumn season, when herders bring flocks down from summer pastures in the Pamirs, numbers swell to 5,000–10,000 sheep along with hundreds of cattle, horses, donkeys, and camels. This is where the animals that become Kashgar's famous lamb kebabs and polo begin their journey to restaurants across the region.
The market's cultural significance extends beyond economics. It is a weekly gathering point for western Xinjiang's diverse communities — Uyghur farmers from the oasis villages, Kyrgyz herders from the highlands around Karakul Lake, Tajik traders from Tashkurgan, and occasionally Kazakh horse dealers from the Ili valley. The market is a living demonstration of the cultural diversity that makes Xinjiang so fascinating. For more on Uyghur traditions, see our Uyghur culture guide.
Day: Every Sunday, without exception, year-round. Rain, snow, and dust storms do not cancel the market. There is no equivalent market on other days of the week, though the regular Kashgar bazaars operate daily. See our Kashgar bazaar guide for daily market options.
Hours: Trading begins at first light, around 7:00-7:30 AM in summer and 8:00-8:30 AM in winter. The market peaks between 9:00 AM and noon. By 1:00 PM, many traders have completed their deals. By 2:00 PM, the grounds are largely empty. Arriving after 11:00 AM means missing the best of it.
Location: The market occupies a large open area on the eastern outskirts of Kashgar city, roughly 5-7 kilometers from the Kashgar Old City. The grounds are situated near the intersection of local roads heading toward the villages east of the city. Your taxi driver will know the location — show them the Chinese name: 喀什牛羊大巴扎.
Getting there: Hire a taxi from your hotel. One-way costs 15-20 CNY; negotiate a round-trip with waiting time for about 50 CNY (the driver waits 2-3 hours). Ask your hotel to write the destination for the driver. Private cars with English-speaking drivers can also be arranged through your hotel or tour operator.
Entry fee: Free. There are no tickets, no gates, and no official tourist infrastructure at the market. This is a working commercial space, not a ticketed attraction.
The largest section of the market and usually the first area visitors encounter. Thousands of sheep and goats are tethered in long rows, grouped by owner. Buyers walk the lines, inspecting teeth, feeling backs for fat cover, and negotiating prices in rapid-fire Uyghur. The noise is extraordinary — bleating, shouting, and the clatter of hooves on hard-packed earth. Watch for the moment a deal is sealed: a handshake, a slap on the back, and the new owner marking purchased animals with colored paint.
Smaller but more dramatic. Stallions rear and whinny as buyers test their gaits by riding tight circles. Kyrgyz and Kazakh traders are particularly active here, and you may see horse-handling techniques passed down through generations of steppe nomads. Donkeys, still widely used as working animals in the Kashgar oasis, are traded in a quieter adjacent area — patient animals standing in the dust while owners haggle.
Camels appear in smaller numbers — primarily Bactrian (two-humped) camels used for transport and wool. Their shaggy coats, imperious expressions, and towering presence make them magnets for photographers. Camel transactions are fewer but higher-value, with more drawn-out negotiations.
Informal veterinary stations are scattered among the pens, where buyers can have animals checked before purchase. Government officials also conduct spot inspections. The overall atmosphere is controlled chaos — trucks rumble through narrow lanes, dust hangs like fog, and the sounds of thousands of animals blend into a continuous roar.
The Kashgar Livestock Market is one of the most photogenic locations in Xinjiang and a highlight for photographers working in western China. The combination of dramatic light, extraordinary subjects, and dust-thick atmosphere produces images almost impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Best time for light: Arrive between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. The morning sun streams in from the east, backlighting the dust clouds and creating long shadows across the animal pens. The golden hour light in the first ninety minutes after sunrise produces the most atmospheric images. By midday, the overhead sun flattens the scene and the harsh light is less forgiving.
Lens recommendations: A 24-70mm handles most general scenes — wide shots of the market grounds, groups of animals, and environmental portraits. A 70-200mm telephoto is invaluable for isolating individual traders and photographing horses or camels from a safe distance. A prime 35mm or 50mm works beautifully for intimate street-style work between pens. Leave the tripod at home — you need mobility here.
Respectful shooting: Always ask permission before photographing individual traders at close range. A smile, a nod, and pointing at your camera is sufficient. If someone waves you away, respect it immediately. Do not use flash — it startles the animals and irritates traders. The airborne dust creates a natural soft-focus effect far more atmospheric than flash.
Dust creates atmosphere: The airborne dust is your friend, photographically speaking. It catches the light, adds texture and depth to images, and gives photographs from this market their distinctive warm, hazy quality. Protect your camera gear with lens hoods and keep a microfiber cloth handy, but embrace the dust in your compositions.
For tourists, the Kashgar Livestock Market is a viewing and photography experience — you will not be buying animals. But understanding the bargaining process adds enormously to your appreciation of what you are witnessing.
Local traders use a time-honored system. The buyer inspects the animal — checking teeth for age, feeling the ribs for condition, examining hooves and eyes. He then opens at 30-50 percent below the asking price. Counter-offers fly back and forth, accompanied by theatrical disbelief, feigned walkaways, and dramatic hand gestures. The performance can last two minutes or half an hour. When both agree, a handshake seals the deal — no contracts, no paperwork.
For reference, typical price ranges at the market (subject to fluctuation) are roughly as follows: a single sheep costs between 800 and 2,000 CNY depending on size and breed; cattle range from 5,000 to 15,000 CNY; horses from 8,000 to 30,000 CNY or more for quality animals; and camels from 10,000 to 25,000 CNY. These prices are negotiated in cash on the spot, and large sums change hands every Sunday. For general shopping advice across the region, see our Xinjiang shopping guide.
The Livestock Market is populated by conservative, religious communities. Visitors who show respect will be welcomed. These guidelines will help you navigate the market sensitively:
For broader context on interacting respectfully with local communities across the region, our Xinjiang cuisine guide and Uyghur culture guide offer additional cultural insights.
The Sunday Livestock Market pairs perfectly with an afternoon exploring Kashgar's Old City. Here is how to structure a full Sunday:
Morning (7:30 AM - 1:00 PM): Depart your hotel by taxi at 7:30 AM and arrive at the market by 8:00 AM. Spend three to four hours exploring, photographing, and observing. Leave around noon as trading winds down.
Early afternoon (1:00 - 2:00 PM): Return to the old city and stop for lunch at a Uyghur restaurant near the Id Kah Mosque. Order polo (lamb pilaf), lagman noodles, or samsa pastries.
Late afternoon (2:00 - 6:00 PM): Explore the Old City on foot — wander restored neighborhoods, visit coppersmith workshops, climb to rooftop viewpoints, and browse the craft bazaars. End the day with tea at a traditional teahouse. If you have evening energy, the Kashgar night market provides a fitting close. See our Kashgar bazaar guide for daily and Sunday craft market details.
This itinerary works particularly well as part of a longer Xinjiang itinerary that includes the Karakoram Highway and Tashkurgan.
The Kashgar Livestock Market has no English signs, no visitor centers, and no facilities beyond makeshift tea stalls. This is both its challenge and its appeal. Here is how to prepare:
Let SilkRoad Boutique handle the logistics — from private taxis and English-speaking guides to combining the Sunday market with Kashgar's Old City, the Karakoram Highway, and the Pamirs. Contact us to plan your Kashgar adventure.