Xinjiang, the most western region of China, is the homeland of the Uygur people who practice the Ismaïli branch of Islam. Located along the silkroute, Xinjiang has a very ancient history and has been the site where several great civilizations have sprung up and flourished. This is as far east as early Europeans, like the Tocharians, settled. Their mummified remains still puzzle anthropologists. A visit to the spectacular Sunday Market, just outside the gates at the ancient city of Kashgar, is a must and definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.