Kashgar Old Town, Kashgar

Kashgar Old Town, Kashgar

(喀什噶尔老城景区 kā shí gá ěr lǎo chéng jǐng qū）

The Old Town of Kashgar, a district of Uygur Islam, is a lively scroll painting of Uygur folk custom. Covering 4.25 square kilometers and inhabited by 126,000 people, the Old Town district is the soul of Kashgar, reflecting both the city’s ancient past and the peaceful present.

Streets in the district criss-cross and dwellings are spread throughout. Most houses are soil-timber or masonry-timber structures, and some have been standing for over 100 years. It is the only labyrinth urban block featuring Islamic culture in China. Strolling in the old town, visitors will find the life of the people enjoyable. Manual workshops are open, old looms are creaking, pottery is being sold and folk artists are singing on the narrow roads. What's more, Indian, Arab, Chinese and ancient Greek influences are felt in the style of housing. Many residences in the old town incorporate Roman columns, Persian woodcuts, Buddhist lotus piles, Indian plaster sculptures and Russian windows.

Kashgar Old Town is home to the Uygur ethnic group and visitors will be immersed in Uygur culture here: their festivals, clothing, songs and dances. You can also sample a wide variety of Xinjiang food here, including shashlicks, roast steamed buns and a kind of crisp pancake named “nang”.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Opening Hours: all day long

Ticket Price: 30 yuan ($4.34)

Address: Artux on the Gobi desert, 30 km from downtown Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Transportation: Bus: Nos 2, 7, 8, 22 or 28

Note:
1. In general, private Uygur houses are open to the visitors. If a house has its two doors open, it indicates that the host is at home. If the house only has one door open, it implies that only the hostess is at home. If a cloth curtain is hanging in the front of the door, it means the house is receiving guests at the time.
2. In the Old Town of Kashgar, bricks paved on the road are direction indicators. As a result, even new comers will not be lost in the old town. Walk along the path paved with hexangular bricks, one can walk out the town. If the paths are paved with some quadrilateral bricks, the front should be a dead end.