Small village in NW China's Xinjiang thrives from Yengisar knife industry

The Yengisar knife is a traditional handmade artwork in Yengisar county, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The craft of making the Yengisar knife was named as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Kalabashilan'gan village in the county is known for the Yengisar knife, which is named after the county and is known for its unique shape, exquisite craft and high quality. The hand-crafted piece of art is one of the three famous knives among ethnic minorities in China.

Photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows a man making a Yengisar knife in Kalabashilan'gan village of Yengisar county, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/ts.cn)

The village is known for the integration of the production, exhibition and sales of Yengisar knives. In 2023, the village was listed as a traditional village under state protection.

The village produces over 200,000 Yengisar knives annually, with total sales worth over 10 million yuan ($1.41 million). In the past two years, the village received more than 1 million tourist visits.

Ghopur Rahman is an eighth-generation inheritor of the craft of making the Yengisar knife. According to him, the process of making an ordinary Yengisar knife involves seven to eight steps, while the production of a high-end one includes 20 to 30 steps.

Photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows a Yengisar knife displayed at a knife trading center in Kalabashlangan village of Yengisar county, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/ts.cn)

In recent years, Yengisar county has actively developed the distinctive Yengisar knife industry by adopting a business model that features the collaboration of cooperatives, merchants, and farmers.

More than 400 people in the county work in the sector. The county produces over 900,000 knives annually. In 2023, total sales revenue of Yengisar knives in the county reached 150 million yuan.