7.23 Xinjiang

2018-07-23 Urumqi was once a central hub on the ancient Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty. It was also a center of commerce and culture during the Qing Dynasty. And that culture is still alive today obviously, because it is a vibrant capital of the province. It’s also believed that somewhere in Urumqi County is the central location of Asia. I’m not quite sure what the exact coordinates are, but it’s safe to say that we’re not there. Now one thing that Xinjiang is particularly well-known for is its varieties of raisins. As you can see behind me, they have every different kind of raisin available. Now, in Xinjiang, the best kind of raisin is known as Putao Gan de Yeye. So, that’s “the raisin’s grandfather.” And here, in the International Bazaar, they apparently sell Putao Gan de Yeye de Yeye, which means the grandfather of the grandfather of raisins, which must be very rare, and it must taste great. 在唐朝时期，乌鲁木齐是古代丝绸之路的中央枢纽。在清朝时期，它还是贸易与文化的中心。这一文化显然至今保留着，因为乌鲁木齐是新疆维吾尔自治区充满活力的首府。据说乌鲁木齐县的某一处是亚洲的中心点。我不太确定这个中心点的具体坐标是什么，不过可以肯定的是我们并不在这个中心点上。 新疆最出名的要数种类繁多的葡萄干了。正如你能看到的我身后的这一幕，他们卖各种各样的葡萄干。在新疆，最好的葡萄干被称作“葡萄干的爷爷”，也就是“葡萄干的祖父”。在这里——新疆的国际大巴扎（集市、农贸市场），他们实际上还会卖“葡萄干爷爷的爷爷”，也就是“葡萄干的高祖父”，这种葡萄干肯定很珍稀，一定是超级好吃。