Subashi and Lunch

Subashi is a site of ancient Buddhist Monastery, active between the 3rd and 9th centuries.  Kuqa being a major crossroads between the South and North Silk Road routes was an early major Buddhist center.  It has been said that Buddhists on the Silk Road would stop at Subashi for months to hear sermons.              

The local material in the dessert is earth and combining with straw creates an adobe.  I don’t know what the Chinese word is for the material.  It seems to be the same as what we find in American Southwest Indian construction.  It is not that sturdy and with the wind and weather in the dessert, there is not much left standing in Subashi.  Significant imagination, which I guess I do not have, is needed to envision what existed in the past. What still exists is parts of walls.  Weathered remains that appear                   

I included a photo of the remaining structures in Subashi to give an idea of the remnants of the buildings.                

Returning to town we stopped in the older part of town to purchase some of the quite lovely Uighur men’s hats.  They come in many styles and colors, from plain white to colored felt with embroidered patterns.  There were a few styles from a simple, pill box style in many colors, a square shape which came in felt and wool and a square hat with exaggerated corners.  They each had wonderful embroidery.  The red felt hat had flowers embroidered in each quadrant on the top and the sides of the hat in red and pink with green leaves.  The square hats I purchased, one in white and one in green had a twig and leaf pattern embroidered in contrasting colors, and the square hat with the exaggerated corners, the special one, had very Arabic designs in white and red.   When I wore the hats around Kuqa and Turfan I was greeted with smiles by other Uighurs.  I am not certain that I will receive the same positive reaction in Beijing.                

The proprietor of the hat shop recommended a restaurant for lunch.  It was one of those special meals.  The food was varied, lucky choices by JoAnn and me, and quite delicious.  Photos are attached.              

After lunch we went to the local market.  JoAnn loves these markets.   A number of vendors mostly selling dried fruits and nuts.  Not much more than photo opportunities.