Life in the sea of death

"I drive by here twice a month. No trip to Tazhong is complete without a meal at Yusupjan Yasin's place," he said as he stretched out his arm to pick up another skewer of barbecued meat.

In his restaurant Yusupjan was busy tearing a piece of naan bread the size of a frying pan lid into small pieces before he packed them into a bag. The crispy bread staple, which is mixed with sesame seeds, will be sold "to-go" to travelers short on time.

"I've run this restaurant for three years. Business depends on the weather," said Yusupjan. If the wind is strong, customers avoid eating in the town as sandstorms make dinnertime an uncomfortable ordeal.