Oasis dwellers' knack for spinning yarn

Makers of traditional Uygur silk have no intention of allowing their ancient craft to die in the desert

Every morning Ausman Tarim, 72, walks to a tiny factory near his home to put his wrinkled hands to work. There he does what he has been doing for the past 58 years: weaving etles, traditional Uygur silk that in a bygone age was among the most popular items on the Silk Road and which has become a symbol of the Uygur people.

Tarim and countless other villagers in Jiya, Hotan prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have been making etles for more than 2,000 years and are determined to ensure that their fine skills will still exist in another 2,000 years.