Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has the distinction of being the most landlocked city on the planet. Positioned 1,600 miles from the nearest coastline, this distinction has earned Urumqi a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In an effort to attract more Chinese tourists, the government of China has … Continue reading
Pressed up against the border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Kashgar – also known as Kashi – is the westernmost city in China. Frequently described as the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found in Central Asia, it is hard not to like Kashgar: We’ve already covered the “Kashgar Night Market” and so … Continue reading
During our exploration of Kashgar we came across this blind musician testing out these instruments – known as the dutar – inside a shop: Here is a video of him playing for us after he was advised of our presence: Rest assured, The Velvet Rocket contributed to his purchase of a new dutar. ***** Continue reading
I went to the dentist last week for a routine cleaning. Settling into the dental chair, the contrast between what I saw around me in Dr. Carver’s office and what The Velvet Rocket staff observed in a North Korean dental office during our recent visit there, prompted me to decide that I would not wish … Continue reading
One of the famous traffic girls of North Korea: Although they are primarily associated with Pyongyang, they actually have traffic police in other cities across North Korea. However, it is in Pyongyang that the traffic girls are truly an institution (and a fine one at that). The “traffic girl” is a popular image in North … Continue reading
A beggar at the Kashgar Night Market: Yes, don’t fret, I gave the beggar some money… When approaching the area, one can usually hear Kashgar’s Night Market before they can see it. Granted, we were visiting during Ramadan and so activity was particularly boisterous at sunset when the fast was broken, but I have it … Continue reading
The overwhelming majority of these pictures below were taken through the dirty window of a moving vehicle, so cut me some slack on the image quality. I’m trying to show you what the countryside of North Korea looks like, not win any photography prizes. Contrary to the rumors, the only restrictions the North Koreans placed … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 