City of heritage and appeal

The past four years have also witnessed the growth of Husanjan Yusup's woodworking studio from 15 to 120 sq m.

Husanjan, as a fourth generation carpenter, used to make bowls, spoons, buckets, chairs, stools and other wooden objects for local people to purchase and use in their daily lives.

However, the growing number of tourists visiting his studio have inspired him to create a more diverse range of wood products.

"Sometimes they will just describe something to me, or show me pictures of things and then ask me if I can make it," says the 48-year-old carpenter. "The different requirements put forth by the tourists urged me to make some changes."

He started designing souvenirs with traditional Uygur cultural elements for tourists as well as the practical wooden items and furniture he makes for his local clientele. He even tried etching portraits of tourists on wooden plates.

The increased income enabled him to move his studio to new premises.

Husanjan has two sons who have followed in his footsteps. The younger one, Hasan Husan, 24, began learning the craft when he was 16.

"My father's passion for woodworking has influenced me. I hope I can further promote his craftsmanship," says Hasan.

The local government has organized free art theory classes to local craftsmen. Hasan is one of the beneficiaries of these sessions. The government supported his study at the Xinjiang Arts University for over three months in 2017, and two years later he was sent to Shanghai University, where he attended a 48-day training camp at the school of arts.

He has also been promoting the family's craft products at the cultural expositions in Guangdong province's Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Shandong province's Tai'an and a dozen other cities across the country.

Last year, during a trip to Sanya, Hainan province, an idea struck him that perhaps opening a store there would prove profitable. "Seeing tourists swamp the city, I supposed that a store might help us to reach out to a larger group of potential customers," he explains. In February, the Sanya branch of the family's business opened on the tropical island.

Now, busy traveling back and forth from Sanya to Kashgar, he finds it fulfilling and believes that the family woodworking business has a good prospect.