This photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows a booth selling naan along a street in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
There is a saying in Xinjiang, that one can go without meat for three days, but not for one day without naan. It reveals the indispensable role of naan in the daily lives of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Among the more than 200 types of naans in Xinjiang, Kuqa naan is regarded as the “king” with an average diameter of over half a meter.
Baking a Kuqa naan is more technically demanding than baking other types of naans.
Wheat flour becomes elastic after repeated kneading. The dough is spread and a tool with needles is used to prick out round patterns. Special seasonings are spread evenly, followed by a sprinkle of sesame seeds. When the pit oven is roasting and the naan is stuck to the inner side, the aroma of baked wheat wafts over instantly.
Rishit Himit, 65, is a national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritor of traditional naan-making techniques. Every morning before the sunlight awakens the streets of Kuqa, the wheat aroma of naans in his shop starts to fill the air.
Rishit began learning the skill of making naans from his father at the age of 18, and now he has passed on this unique craft to his sons. Every day, local residents and tourists flock to Rishit’s naan shop. By the end of a day, one or two thousand large naans made by Rishit, his sons and apprentices are all sold out.
In Xinjiang, naan is not just food to satisfy hunger, but also a link connecting daily life and cultural inheritance. From the naan shops in the old streets of Kuqa to the naan-themed exhibition hall at the Urumqi Grand Bazaar, naan is facing the public with a more vivid presence. Naan comes in a dazzling variety of shapes and flavors, making it a must-buy souvenir for tourists. Cute naan-shaped cultural and creative products, as well as coffee and yogurt served in bowls made of naan, have become Internet-famous combinations sought after by young tourists.
Xinjiang people’s favor for naan has traveled along the millennia-old Silk Road, accompanied by the winds of the Tianshan Mountains and the moonlight over the ancient city of Kuqa. Naan carries the persistence of senior inheritors like Rishit, and also embodies the innovation and vitality in the new era. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Rishit Himit sells naans at his store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Tourists visit a naan-themed exhibition hall at the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit packs naans in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
A tourist selects naan-themed cultural and creative products at a store in the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Tourists visit a naan-themed exhibition hall at the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit’s wife arranges package boxes at their store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit makes naans at his store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit makes naans at his store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Tourists select naan-related snacks at a store in the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit carries naans at his store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Rishit Himit delivers naans to customers in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Rishit Himit packs naans for delivery to customers in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit displays a naan in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Rishit Himit displays a naan he made in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
A tourist tries coffee in cup-shaped naan in the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
This undated file photo shows Rishit Himit (C) posing for a group photo after performing as a guest during China’s first national vocational skills competition in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)
Customers leave Rishit Himit’s naan store with naans they just bought in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit is pictured with his grandchildren at his store in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
Rishit Himit spreads seasonings on a naan in Kuqa City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
