RugDogBlog

I love store signs in Lhasa.

Someone, somewhere, has decreed that signs outside stores in this town must be trilingual (and colored red). So, fire up the online translation service. Input Chinese characters (themselves loosely translated from Tibetan) and there you are! Nonsense of the first order.

There's a new batch this season that includes the two signs in the photo, plus "Amdo Tibetan Restaurant First Pakistani Grass" and "East Side Shop One Pressure". I checked out the restaurant but the fare in no way lived up to the delights hinted at by the sign.

Some classics of yesteryear, especially "Tibet Ancient Food" and "Auspicous Rabbit Shop" are sadly no longer with us, but these new signs more than make up for the loss of those gems.

Philip K Dick, who predicted it all, would have liked them too.

This month's Arts of Asia magazine (May-June 2010) includes an interesting article on late Ming porcelain, entitled Hovering between orthodoxy and secularity: Ming Imperial ceramic wares of the Jiajing and Wanli periods, by Joan Y.H. Ho. The article is in connection with an exhibition at the University Museum in Hong Kong, curated by Ms Ho, which runs until May 23rd.

I will miss the exhibition unfortunately, not having any trips planned to Hong Kong before the 23rd, but this well-illustrated article makes up for this.

In her article Ms Ho discusses blue and white porcelain from the period in question, and also Wucai and monochrome ceramics from the same period. Wucai ("five color") enameled porcelain from this period is quite well-known to collectors, monochrome pieces perhaps less so. Ms Ho traces the evolution of late Ming designs and links the painted designs on blue and white ceramics to woodblock prints from the same period. Her juxtapositions of prints and painted ceramic designs are striking and convincing. Textile designs are also (correctly) cited as a source for blue and white porcelain patterns of this period.

Despite the outstanding items on display in the article (and in the exhibition), Ms Ho is strangely unenthusiastic about the decorated pieces that she is curating. She compares Jiajing and Wanli porcelain unfavorably with early Ming blue and white, which she regards as the high point for blue and white assigning to it "supremacy in artistic and technical achievement". On the achievements of the Jiajing and Wanli reigns she is rather unkind, describing the influence of the newly wealthy Chinese merchant class in the following terms :
Facing the impact of mercantilism in the late Ming period, the search for lofty objects of the spirit degenerated into the pursuit for mere material enjoyment. She goes on to accuse the late-Ming Chinese of extravagance,  greed, pretension, the tendency to flaunt and wordly inclination. Strong stuff indeed. I had to check twice to confirm that she was talking about the late Ming and not Wall Street pre-2008, or Shanghai circa 2010. For the porcelain itself she has some equally tough words: arbitrary and stiff lines drawn in an exorbitant and complex manner on the wucai porcelain wares. Ouch.

Fortunately the ceramics illustrated in the Arts of Asia article tell a quite different story. They are charming. The decoration on these pieces is a cross-section of Chinese life and lore from the late Ming, including domestic scenes, boys at play, gardens, rocks, sages and scholars. All beautifully drawn in a lively and informal manner. I have reproduced two of my favorite pieces from the article here: the first picture is of a Jiajing period plate with a wonderfully restrained design of birds and a persimmon tree. The second is a detail from a large Wanli jar with the auspicous theme of 100 boys at play.

Ms Ho's views on the development of art and design during the Ming period are not uncommon, in fact they are conventional amongst many scholars. The central dogma can be summarized as follows:

1. the peak of Ming blue and white porcelain, and much other art besides, occurred during the Yongle (1403-1424) and Xuande (1426-1435) reigns
2. the best items were made for the Emperor and his court
3. during the late Ming lots of commoners were able to buy luxury goods like porcelain too. They had money and questionable taste and so artistic production increased in volume but went down in quality.

Incidentally, If you substitute "Qing" for Ming in the above and "Kangxi" for Yongle/Xuande you will obtain a similar conventional view for the artistic production of the Qing dynasty.

These views on late Ming porcelain and art in general are not shared by all. I hope from the couple of pieces I have shown here that it will be apparent that the decoration on this porcelain is anything but stiff. It is true that the late Ming saw a large increase in blue and white porcelain production, much of it for non-Imperial clients, and with this increase came a wider range of quality and painting skills, including cheaper items for the aspiring merchant classes. But the best late Ming pieces hold a candle to any from earlier times. Painting skills were actually improved (in my view) by pieces being produced in greater numbers, since porcelain artists became increasingly fluent with repetition, something that is particularly important with Chinese brushwork skills.

Japanese collectors in particular "got it" many centuries ago, avidly collecting the blue and white from the late Ming and early Qing which they termed "ko sometsuke". They valued this porcelain precisely for its informality and liveliness. Wucai from the same period was collected in Japan for the same reason, and inspired potters in Kyoto to produce ware they called akai-e ("red ware"). Both types of ceramic were used extensively in the Japanese tea ceremony and are still produced and collected today, something that can come as a surprise to Westerners who are more familiar with the wabi-sabi tea ceremony aesthetic. These styles are a direct legacy of the late Ming, which was far more influential on Japanese ceramic designs than anything produced in the Yongle or Xuande reigns.

Returning to Ms Ho's article, she praises the simple and unpretentious style of the floral scroll pattern and Arabic patterns found on porcelain before the Jiajing and Wanli periods. In my view "pretentious" is not a word that I would apply to much porcelain, but if we are going to use it we would be more justified in labeling early Ming pieces as "pretentious", since these designs self-consciously imitate a non-Chinese (Arabic) style. Some of the strangest designs from this period even attempt to imitate Arabic calligraphy (badly). The Jiajing and Wanli decorative styles in contrast are the products of native Chinese artistic imagination, freed from the constraints of foreign forms and designs. They depict Chinese life and legend, and they are made by and for the people, albeit the newly wealthy merchant classes of the day. This is arguably more worthy of celebration than the adaptation of Middle Eastern designs.

Don't let any of my criticism put you off though ... both the article in Arts of Asia magazine and the exhibition are worthy of the attention of anyone with interest in Chinese ceramics, art or history.

Details of the exhibition are on The University of Hong Kong Museum website

My contribution to a very, very old discussion.

Amongst the more unusual kilns from the illustrious history of Chinese ceramics is the Jian kiln from Fujian province. The Jian kilns operated during the Song and Yuan dynasties (roughly from the mid tenth to the mid fourteenth centuries) and made black teabowls and very little else. What their production lacked in variety it made up for in virtuoso technique in the making of black glaze and the various effects that could be obtained from it. Scholars and modern day potters are still arguing about how some of the effects were created, and some variations (notably some rare bowls with iridescent oil spots) have still not been copied satisfactorily. Despite their humble origins the bowls were admired by Chinese emperors and humble Buddhist monks alike, and were influential in the development of tea culture in China and Japan.

The photos in this post are of three bowls in a group of 15 that I bought from the same source in 1996 or 97. They were all excavated from the Jian kiln site at the same time and were probably part of the regular production of one of the kilns, perhaps during the 10th or 11th century. All of the bowls are around 9.5cm wide: this size was quite common in Jian production, but is less favored by collectors today. As a result I was able to buy a large group, and they have been a useful reference for Jian designs and effects ever since.

Looking at this set of bowls again today the thing that strikes me is the range of surface decoration. No two bowls are alike. This begs the question of to what extent  Song dynasty potters were able to control the effects they produced. Some control was certainly exercised: in many bowls it is possible to see how carefully the glaze and surface decoration were applied, but the kilns in use in those days lacked the precise controls of temperature and air flow that modern potters take for granted. My impression from looking at this group is that the pattern on the finished bowl was still to some extent in the hands of the kiln god, despite the evident skill of the potters.

The coloring on Jian ware bowls is iron. This is one of the commonest coloring materials on pottery and porcelain, and probably the first one that was ever used on a pot. In small amounts it makes pale blue and green glazes, in larger amounts it makes dark green and brown colors, and in large amounts it makes colors that are close to black.

With a black glaze that is saturated with iron further effects can be produced by adding still more iron, that is allowed to sit on the surface of the glaze in solid form. Jian ware potters coated their bowls in glaze (leaving the foot-rim bare) and then added more iron at the rim of the bowl. During firing the iron at the rim ran down towards the center of the bowl. This produced various patterns, the most common of which was fine lines like fur, extending from the rim to the center of the bowl. This pattern was called "hare's fur" by Song dynasty tea aficionados. Though we can't check with Song dynasty authors as to which pattern they meant by "hare's fur" there is little doubt about which design they were talking about. The first bowl of the three photographs in this post is evidently of this type.

The second well-known design is called "Oil Spot", though this term is probably of more recent origin and is not found in Song dynasty descriptions. This type of glaze has round spots distributed over it. These seem to have crystallized on the surface from excess iron in the glaze, probably during cooling.

A complicating factor is that Jian ware was fired with varying amounts of oxygen in the kiln. A slight excess of oxygen gave brownish-black bowls with chocolate colored surface decoration (fired in an "oxidizing" atmosphere). Bowls fired with less oxygen gave blue-black glazes with metallic-looking surface effects (fired in a "reducing" atmosphere). The best Oil Spot effects seem to be on bowls that were fired in a reducing atmosphere, producing silvery spots against a jet-black background. The second bowl in the set of three photographs is of this type.

Song dynasty black glazed ware has been written about in numerous books and articles, but the two most important in the English-language in recent years are probably an article by Marshall PS Wu in Orientations Magazine ("Black Glazed Jian Ware and Tea Drinking in the Song Dynasty", Orientations April 1998), and the catalogue of a major exhibition by the Harvard University Art Museum entitled "Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers" (Robert Mowry et al, 1995). The Harvard catalogue is an outstanding reference, perhaps the definitive guide to Chinese black glazed wares.

Despite a wealth of scholarship some mysteries remain. One such is the decorative effect termed "Partridge Feathers", referred to by Song connoisseurs. This seems to have been at least as revered in Song times as the Hare's Fur effect, but what exactly was being referred to? There is some discussion of this issue in both the Wu and Mowry articles. Wu concludes that what the Song dynasty authors actually meant was oil spot glazes (as they later become known). Mowry et al disagree and conclude that "Partridge Feathers" referred to a type of glaze with large brown splodges on a black background. They go on to identify and label several bowls with this pattern, most of which are Cizhou wares from northern China.

The problem with Wu's solution to the Partridge-Feather mystery is that oil spots are unconvincing in this role. True, some partridges have spots on their wings, but so do many animals, and there is nothing feathery about the silvery metallic spots on bowls of this type. Mowry et al's solution is somewhat more attractive; the brown spots they identify are somewhat more feather-like. The problem with their identification is that Song authors were talking about Jian ware bowls, but none of the bowls that Mowry et al label as "Partridge Feather" were from the Jian kilns, and in fact most of the examples they show were probably from a different (later) era. More recently, a third type of bowl with prominent white spots has been proposed for the title of "Partridge Feather". This type is exceedingly rare and I have yet to see one myself.

Which brings me to the third bowl from my group of 15. This is a Jian ware bowl, with markings that are neither Oil Spot nor Hare's Fur, though they are clearly related to the latter type. Instead of the streaks of "fur" we have a feathery effect from iron-rich material running down the inside of the bowl. The effect seems to be related to a difference in surface tension of the iron-rich material on the glaze surface, as compared with the more typical Hare's Fur effect, but whether this was planned or was accidental is not clear.

Is this the type of effect that Song dynasty writers meant when they talked about "Partridge Feather" Jian ware bowls? One thing is clear from looking at a large number of these things is that effects of this type are much less common than Hare's Fur streaks. This might have contributed to the mystique surrounding this pattern. Rarity invariably attracts the interest of the cognoscenti (they are a predictable lot).

That's my contribution to the debate. Personally I find bowls with this feathery brown effect somewhat more convincing candidates for "Partridge Feather" glaze than the ones put forward in the Orientations and Harvard Museums works. But since we are not able to revive the old Song authors and check exactly what they meant I am under no illusions that mine will be the last word on the topic!

Our new Beijing flagship store has just opened at Europlaza, in the Shunyi district. We are on the ground floor, between Coldstone ice cream and Comptoire de France cafe (two of my favorite treats in Beijing that had absolutely NOTHING to do with my choosing this spot, probably)

Celebrations, yes, but from a personal standpoint it's more about heaving a big sigh of relief. This last year has been even crazier than normal in Beijing (and it does get very crazy here for retailers).

As some will remember we had a nice store in Danshui town in Shunhuang road, a beautiful courtyard development that unfortunately stood in the way of "progress" in the area just south of the river. It was demolished a few months back, along with the entire south side of the street (though some buildings are still standing and things seem to have ground to a halt for the time being). In typical Beijing fashion the stores along that side of the road got 40 days notice from the local government to clear out. We managed to keep the business running, with the help of Ms Wang of the Dynasty furniture store directly opposite where Danshui used to be, who rented some space in her store to us at short notice. Credit also to my staff and to our decorations company who renovated a space in Dynasty and fitted carpet rails, lighting etc in the space of a week. Looking back I am still not sure how we did it.

The Dynasty store remains open, and we have our collection of antique rugs (especially Khotan and Kirgiz rugs) and also Afghan rugs and kilims there. I am not sure what the fate of the north side of Shunhuang road will be: there are rumors that it will be redeveloped this year too but the timing is uncertain. Now that we have the Europlaza store open I am less "zhao ji" about it.

I have never been a "mall kind of guy", but I've seen the writing on the wall as regards some of the more "characterful" projects hereabouts that I would otherwise be attracted to. Beijing is expanding, and what used to be countryside is fast becoming "downtown". There are some lovely courtyard developments and individual projects around north Beijing, but many will eventually fall prey to compulsory purchase and redevelopment just as we did. Landlords get some compensation as long as they have a structure built on the land they have leased (which explains some of the mysterious dash to construct apparently empty buildings on many sites in north Beijing), but businesses that rent these spaces get nothing.

Hence the choice of a mall this time. Europlaza is big and solid looking, has several floors so I am hoping it won't be demolished any time soon :-)

I am pleased with how the new store has turned out (once again, credit due to staff and contractors for a job well done).  Europlaza is well-maintained space in a good central location (at least for Shunyi area residents, a bit of a trek for those coming from downtown I admit), with good parking and space to let the kids roam safely. There are still some units that are not let on the upper floors, but the supermarket is open in the basement and proving popular.

We continue to focus on costs, which is why I'd love a large downtown store but it is unlikely to happen any time soon. Beautiful handmade carpets are not cheap, but we don't want them to cost more than they need to, and don't want to pay downtown rents that would make them unaffordable. So we will stick with locations some way from town, and hope that downtown residents will make the trip to see our store and buy a carpet at a reasonable price ... and also take advantage of designs and customization service that you can't find anywhere else.

There are contact details, maps and so on for our Beijing stores on our website.

Our air purifier store (Torana Clean Air Center), selling Blueair air filters, is also in the same location.

  Borobodur occupies a similar place in the imagination to Angkor Wat: forgotten for centuries, partially buried in volcanic ash and reclaimed from the jungle in the late 19^th century. It is also one of the most compact and perfect Buddhist monuments in Asia. It's a popular destination for local Indonesian tourists, but it is getting fewer western visitors these days, the result of tough economic times and a general lack of enthusiasm for Muslim destinations.

Before Indonesia was converted to Islam, a gradual process that happened over several hundred years, the country was a patchwork of Hindu and Buddhist belief. Borobodur was constructed by the Sailendra dynasty, who were Buddhists. Construction is thought to have taken place between 750 and 850AD.

Borobodur lays claim to being one of the most elegant and symmetrical mandala-monuments in Asia. In one sense, describing a Buddhist temple as a "mandala" is a true-ism since all Buddhist architecture is based on the concept of a mandala, as the oldest Indian texts on temple designs specify. A mandala, in Buddhist terms, is a palace for the gods and so too are most Buddhist temples. Real-world temples must serve other needs as well, accommodating lay believers, monks and providing space for rituals, so the mandala form is more often than not difficult to discern, though it can still be seen clearly in some Buddhist monuments such as Samye in Tibet.

In Borobodur there is no compromise in the perfect mandala form, square at the outside and circular at the center. There is no interior space, just galleries for pilgrims to walk around and view the sculptures and friezes. The outermost, lower galleries have friezes depicting past lives of the Buddhas (Jataka tales), while the mid-levels feature mainly meditating figures. The degree of abstraction increases gradually from the outside, as worldly clamor is replaced by contemplation and finally by pure circular form at the center.

Borobodur is sometimes described as a mystery, and there are certainly many puzzles. These are made more difficult by the fact that the monument has few inscriptions, and no texts survive in Java from the period when the monument was made. One puzzle concerns the meditating Buddhas on the upper levels: there are six kinds versus the more usual group of five Dhyani Buddhas.The overall form of Borobodur is not hard to understand though: there are several monuments of the same type that are still functioning today, the best example of which is probably the Great Stupa (Kumbum) at Gyantse in Tibet. Something of the atmosphere that once surrounded Borobodur can also be experienced at the Shwedagon in Burma. Like the Shwedagon today Borobodur was once whitewashed, probably gilded and garlanded with flowers too, and filled with pilgrims rather than tourists.

Both Borobodur and the Great Stupa at Gyantse are points that were meant to serve as a destination for - and the culmination of - a pilgrimage. The pilgrim goes on a physical journey that is also a spiritual journey. After traveling for many days or months to reach the spot, the traveler walks around the monument in a clockwise direction, gradually ascending through a pantheon of Buddhist teachings that reflect increasing levels of spiritual attainment. The sculptures of the monument reflect the pilgrim's journey, from mundane concerns through meditation towards the hope (at least) of enlightenment.


I traveled to Borobodur in February during the rainy season, stayed at the Hotel Manohara near the monument. Seeing the sun rise is a must-do, and cooler too at 6am than later in the day. There are fewer visitors in the rainy season, but it rains most days from about 3-4pm onwards. Weekends are best avoided because of the crowds of local day-trippers.

To get to Borobodur, fly to Jakarta and then go via road, or fly on to Yogjakarta. It is just a couple of hours drive from Yogja and can be done as a day trip from there, but I recommend staying overnight for at least one night at the monument. Sunrise and sunset have the most interesting light.

It's spring again and I've been asked several questions on carpet cleaning so it seems like a good time to post some general advice.

Carpet cleaners in Beijing and Shanghai

There are several companies and individuals cleaning carpets here. Most are doing it the old-fashioned way (with a hosepipe on a concrete slipway) and most do a decent job. If you want a more professional job I suggest to try Chemdry (tel Beijing 010-6436 2846, Shanghai 021-580 4629) since they are an international chain and I think the cleaning solutions they use are better than some. They will also come look at your carpet and advise if they anticipate problems.

Key thing to bear in mind is that no carpet cleaning is foolproof. The main hazards are 1) color running and 2) loss of shape or texture.

Pre-test your carpet for color fastness

The commonest problem with carpet washing is color running, and the culprit is usually red, sometimes black. Good quality dyes don't run, but they are rare: many antique rugs are major offenders since synthetic reds have been around since the 1870s and some of the earliest synthetic reds were the least color-fast. Many carpet manufacturers in China are still skimping on dye quality and reds-that-run still abound. To test whether a color will run damp a small area of rug with a little water and detergent (eg dishwash liquid), then blot it with a white tissue or a white cotton cloth. If it comes away pink then there is some risk of color running. A small amount of color running is not necessarily a disaster, especially if the rug has mostly darker shades. Turkomen and Afghan types often come out of the washing process looking "different but ok" despite (or because of) some color running but if your rug has white or pastel areas next to intense colors these may end up pink.

Wool carpets

Wool is tough and generally washes well, though very cheap wool can sometimes felt and turn hard, and non-woven (tufted) rugs may lose wool tufts if they are getting old and the backing is starting to break down. The most common issue however is color running as mentioned.
In the case of Tibetan rugs sold by Torana we will ship them back to our workshop for washing if customers wish: this gives a good result (it's the way we wash all our new carpets after they are woven) but it is slow because of the shipping back and forth that is involved. The colors in our own-make rugs don't run because we use good dyes (that are also non-toxic). They also stand up to washing well because they are made with long-fiber wool that is properly secured in the knots.

Silk carpets

Silk is much more difficult to wash successfully than wool. Partly this is because dyes don't "take" so well on silk (particularly on the cheaper variety of silk rugs sold in China) and partly because silk is a more fragile fiber than wool. If you have a silk carpet your best bet is to keep it away from shoes/pets/toddlers and try to avoid washing it at all. If there is no other option then go ahead, but don't shoot the carpet cleaner when it comes back! Test colors for fastness according to the method I mentioned earlier.

First aid

For any carpet, wool or silk, mop up spills asap with lots of paper towels, then apply a slightly damp terry towel. Try water (only) on the terry towel first of all, then try adding a little detergent (dishwash liquid) if need be. Do it gently and clean a bigger area than the stain, so that hopefully you don't end up with a small white patch where the stain was. Don't use bleaches or strong stain removers.

My dog chewed my rug

We hear this a lot in Beijing. Not being a dog-owner I have never been able to understand it (I adore carpets but don't consider flavor to be one of their strong features). Try putting a floral scent on the carpet, eg with floral air freshener, since most dogs and cats are not big fans of floral notes, and then get the dog some exercise or a proper hobby. Regarding the chewed carpet, take it back to the original seller, since they are most likely to have materials of the right color. Sometimes repair-able, sometimes not.

There are more general rug and carpet related FAQs on my website.

Once in every generation an invention comes along that not so much changes the world as redefines it. An invention so subtle and pervasive that we can no longer imagine life without it, no longer think back to a time when it was not part of the fabric of our lives. An invention that is so fundamental that access to it becomes part of our basic rights as human beings.

Well, this is not it. What it is however is a new type of instant drink that combines three old favorites into one ... coffee, milk and tea! I sampled it in Lhasa airport a few weeks back while waiting for a flight back to Beijing and had nearly forgotten about it, until I re-discovered the empty sachet in the pocket of my overcoat this morning, along with some fluff and a paperclip.

Desperation drove me to it. Hot water is freely available in Lhasa airport, but no cups! So I bought the sachet which came complete with styrofoam cup and a nice no-spill lid, so that I would have something to put the water in.

I can confirm that this sachet, when mixed with hot water combined the flavors of the three famous beverages quite convincingly, along with another flavor that is hard to place but resembles malted baby sick. There were some strange looking chunks in the packet too (see illustration) but I decided to leave those out when I added the water. One can have too much adventure and excitement in one day.

So there you have it. The world's three famous beverages that nourish and comfort three quarters of humanity are now available in a single sachet, obviating at a stroke the need to buy any of them separately again. The world's homemakers rejoice, Nestle and Kraft execs are fired for missing this one while Progress marches ever onwards.

I was in Lhasa a few weeks ago and saw this unusual sight: a storyteller using a thangka painting and telling (or rather, singing and chanting) a traditional story.

Previously I only knew of this custom from old photos from the period from around 1900-1930, when itinerant storytellers who hung up paintings and told a tale seem to have been a relatively common sight. I had assumed that this custom had vanished.

This storyteller used a long iron pointer bound with ribbons to tell the life story of a religious teacher with the aid of the thangka. The painting is so worn that it is difficult to see any details on it. The story is told in chanted verses, pointing at the relevant part of the painting. In between these sections the teller bows, puts down the pointer and chants a prayer while holding rosary beads.

From time to time the storyteller succeeded in gathering a small crowd in this Lhasa back street. The box in front of the painting is for donations and he seemed to be doing quite well. Perhaps because of his great age and the fact that this is by no means a common sight these days.

More on this disturbing topic.

The Beijing CHP (Cultural Heritage Society) has revealed that the Kashgar local government are claiming that UNESCO supports their plan to level and rebuild the old town. A large billboard pictured on CHP's website publicly proclaims this as "fact".

It seems extremely unlikely that UNESCO would support such a plan. More likely in fact that their name and reputation are being exploited without their permission to lend support to this scheme.

I hope that someone in UNESCO is able to respond to this quickly, if only because their reputation seems to be at stake.

I have not visited Kashgar personally since spring this year ('09) but I hear reports from travelers to the region that the destruction of the old buildings has already begun. I hope it isn't too late to halt this plan and save what is left. Kashgar's future as a tourist and historical site depends on it.

(photo: a balcony in the old town, with characteristic arched openings, openwork carving and geometric tiles behind. Similar wood-framed balconies can be found on the houses formerly owned by wealthier Kashgar citizens in many parts of the old town. The style is a unique local synthesis that is not found elsewhere in China)

Earlier this year I posted an entry in this blog about my visit to the old city of Kashgar, and remarked that the ancient mud-brick town was still in remarkably good shape.

It seems my optimism was premature. The local government in Kashgar has formulated a plan to replace all the existing mud-brick dwellings with modern brick structures. This will eliminate at a stroke what is possibly the only surviving, virtually complete medieval Muslim walled settlement left within China's borders.

The issues of destruction of cultural heritage and loss of history, memory and place that this raises are highlighted in an article by Jim Stent and He Shuzhong of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center, that appears in this month's edition of Orientations Magazine (October 2009), and also on the CHP's own website.

The pictures at left show a medieval doorway in Kashgar that I photographed during my trip earlier this year. Whilst this particular entry way might not seem very significant, it does contain clues to the great age of the old town. In particular the degree to which the kerbstone of the doorway lies below the current street level (it is "sunken" around 30cm) suggests that it is several centuries old. Over time the ground level of traditional towns rises slowly, as footpaths are re-made with new material. Sunken doorways are a common feature of traditional settlements across the world, and have even been used by urban archaeologists to make a rough estimate the ages of dwellings within such towns.

The other striking feature of this doorway is the carved lintel above it, with its carved vine motif. This is a classical Silk Road design, present on carved wood excavated from even earlier times than the old town at Kashgar. The lintel was probably painted at one time, but the paint is now entirely gone. The lintel might have been carved at the time the doorway was made, or it might be an even older piece that has been re-used from another structure.

Aside from the loss of a unique architectural gem, the re-building of the town is a potential economic loss to Kashgar. It is unlikely that foreign tourists will journey to Kashgar to see a Disney-fied version of the town. I urge those involved with this to re-consider before much is lost that will never be replaced.