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"Wooden Cart" is a kind of cart used in Kashi.
The entire cart is made of wood. Four wooden
wheels prop up a ladder-shaped wooden body , so
it gets such a name. Drawn by two horses, it
gives out the sound "crash crash" even on level
road. If it is driven on the stone road of Gobi
desert, deafening sound can be heard more than
half an mile away.
Carters are usually middle-aged powerful Uyghur
with exceeding bravery and wisdom who generally
have a lot of driving experiences. The carter
must be able to control two horses at his will
and his shout and whip must be familiar to the
horses. It is interesting to see experienced
carters driving their carts. Sometimes the
carter just stands abruptly and steadily in the
centre of his cart and flicks his whip over his
head.
The
carriage runs at full speed, but the carter does
not move at all
as if he was fastened to the cart. People
without training may fall off the cart even if
he sits down. Sometimes, he just crossed his
legs and sits up straight in the center of the
cart to let the horses gallop. Not matter how
fast the cart is driven, he sits there at ease
as if he was sitting cross-legged on the bed.
The carts are mainly for transporting middle or
long distance freights. In hot seasons, dozens
of carts run one after another to their
destinations and make a thundering sound. People
on other carts, wagons, donkey carts on the road
are stirred up too. The road is teeming with
laughter, shouting and thrill.
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