Kazakh villagers celebrate the Nowruz festival in Saerqiaoke township, in Xinjiang's Barkol Kazakh autonomous county, against a majestic backdrop. The annual festival is a holiday for Kazakh and Uygur ethnic groups and they mark it during the spring equinox, the beginning of the new year. Zhang Jiangang / for China Daily

Herdsmen of the Tajik ethnic group catch sheep in an event steeped in tradition to welcome spring in the Tashi Kuergan Tajik autonomous county in Xinjiang, on March 18. Jiang Wenyao / Xinhua

Hamdulla, 78, and his wife visit a melon fair in Xinjiang's Hami prefecture in July. The Hami melon, a type of cantaloupe, with an off-white, yellow, pink or green rind, derives its name from Hami, which was registered nationally as the birthplace of the fruit. Li Xiongxin / for China Daily

Sheep are carried by herdsmen in a race in Yanchi township, Yiwu county, to celebrate the harvest in August. Li Hua / Xinhua

Uygur artists perform traditional dances for tourists at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, one of the largest in the world.? Wang Fei / Xinhua

Women examine cloth at the Kashgar Grand Bazaar. Bazaar, originating from Persian, means market or fair, and this one covers an area of 200,000 square meters. Kashgar, rich in history, is a modern major distribution center and played an important role on the Silk Road.? Shen Qiao / Xinhua