A UIGHUR CHILD REACHES OUT FROM A BUS IN KASHGAR, 2003-09-16 (photo)

A Uighur child reaches out from a bus in Kashgar September 16, 2003. The border city of Kasghar, a place of strategic importance in the southwestern part of China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, was called Shule in ancient times and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Its location at the foot of the Pamir Mountains made it the guardian of the ancient Silk Road. In the 1800s Kashgar was important for its role in "the Great Game", the struggle between the Russians, Chinese, and British for control of Central Asia. REUTERS/Andrew Wong PP03090088 ASW