Upal


Upal is a town in Shufu County in Western Xinjiang, China.

Etymology

The names comes from the upál-, which means "a noble stone", sharing an Indo-European root to the Greek opallios, from which the English word opal is derived. The caste of the Indian traders who traditionally used to trade the precious stone is also called Uppal.

Karakoram Highway

Today Upal is on the Karakoram Highway, which follows the old Silk Road route from China to Pakistan. Travelling from China, it is about 50 km southwest of Kashgar or about 180 km north of Tashkurgan.
Passenger road service between the Tashkurgan and the Pakistani cities of Sost and Gilgit already exists and road service between Kashi and Gilgit started in summer 2006. However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass is open only from May 1 to October 15 of every year. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow.

Mahmud al-Kashgari

died in 1102 at the age of 97 in Upal. There is now a mausoleum erected on his gravesite. He is remembered as a prominent Turkic language scholar.

Monday Bazaar

A bazaar is held every Monday. Being that this village is along the Karakoram Highway, it is frequently visited not only by local people but also by the tourists on their way back from Karakul Lake, a popular sightseeing site in Kashgar.
This simplistic, but colorful bazaar is held along the national highway, especially under the large tents in the back of the houses on the western side of the highway. The animals market is located in the southernmost part of the market.