International Grand Bazaar (Guójì dàba zha)

International Grand Bazaar (Guójì dàba zha) Review

The streets around the bazaar were once full of donkey carts and flocks of sheep. Men in embroidered skullcaps and women in heavy brown wool veils remain, and the whole area maintains the bustling atmosphere of a Central Asian street market. You can bargain for Uyghur crafts, such as decorated knives, colorful silks, and carved jade. Small shops are tucked into every nook and cranny. The international bazaar itself has been heavily expanded, and now includes a newly built minaret, which you can climb for Y20. The stalls, while interesting enough, are aimed firmly at tourists; more authentic options are the streets nearby that are filled with traditional ironmongers and Islamic butcher shops.