Travel Guide to Southern Xinjiang: Silk Culture Ancient City – Kashgar
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
It is said that not visiting Kashgar is like not visiting Xinjiang. During the Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian was sent on a mission to the Western Regions to ally with the Dayuezhi near the Hexi Corridor to attack the Xiongnu. At the same time, he opened up the passage between the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and the Central Plains. One of them was Kashgar, anciently known as ‘Shule’. More than two thousand years later, the prosperity of this ancient Silk Road town continues. The old town still retains the characteristics and customs of the ancient Western Regions city-states.
Id Kah Mosque
Century-old Tea House
The century-old tea house in Kashgar is probably even more famous than the mosque, with a steady stream of tourists. It is also a filming location for ‘The Kite Runner’. When you come here, you must go up to the large balcony on the second floor to sit. The green walls, exquisite doors and windows are perfect for taking photos. However, we arrived a little late and couldn’t capture an empty scene. Besides tourists, the tea house is filled with ‘Baiyi Laoyes’ wearing small flower caps. They are regular customers of the tea house. Usually, they buy a naan bread downstairs and then enter the tea house to order a kettle of tea. A few of them sit at a table and start chatting.
Gaotai Residents
The Gaotai Residents, with a history of over 600 years, are built on a cliff 40 meters high and 800 meters long. They are a unique architectural group in Xinjiang where Uyghur residents have lived for generations. As the family population gradually increased, each generation of residents would expand or add to the original houses without any rules, using the terrain space as much as possible. This has made the streets and alleys in this area intertwined, like a maze.
Of course, many houses are built with raw soil and wood, and due to disrepair over time, they have now become dangerous buildings. The country also began to demolish and renovate this area a few years ago, and the Gaotai Residents are no longer allowed to visit.
Apakhoja Tomb
Xiangfei Tomb. However, the story of Xiangfei’s burial was eventually proven to be elsewhere, only adding a legendary color to this place. Inside the building, there are more than 50 coffins, large and small, belonging to this man called Apakhoja and his people, who have some distant relatives with Xiangfei. Fortunately, the building itself is relatively exquisite, slightly compensating for the regret of not visiting theCattle and Sheep Bazaar.
Walking into a Uyghur restaurant at random and opening the menu, mutton is absolutely dominant. Whether it’s kebab, soup rice, laghman noodles, pilaf, or baked stuffed buns… Kashgar preserves the traditional Uyghur way of life.
Central and West Asia International Bazaar
Baisha Mountain and The Flowing Sand River
About 150 kilometers west of Kashgar city, heading towards the Pamir Plateau, after turning and climbing out of the Gez Valley, you will suddenly see a broad view and "The Flowing Sand River in Journey to the West".
It is hard to imagine that such a mirror-like lake of 44 square kilometers exists on the Pamir Plateau.
On the north shore, Baisha Mountain is visible in the distance. Being made of accumulated sand, the small mountains stretch out in a soft and graceful manner, forming a beautiful contrast with the vast lake surface. The lake surface reflects the blue sky and white clouds, leaving people with boundless thoughts and imaginations. There are colorful stones at the bottom and shores of the lake, which you can pick up as souvenirs.
Muztagh Ata Snowy Peak
The Kyrgyz people call it "Muztagh Ata", where "Muz" means ice, "Tagh" means mountain, and "Ata" means father. Starting from Kashgar and heading along the China-Pakistan Highway, you can catch a glimpse of the "Father of Glaciers". From afar, Karakul Lake, like a mirror, reflects Muztagh Ata’s snowy peak, creating a perfect match as if made by heaven. At the 200KM mark, exiting the China-Pakistan Highway and entering the mountains will lead you to the foot of Muztagh Ata, where you can get close to the glaciers without any mountaineering equipment. If you are physically fit, climbing to the top of the glacier will allow you to overlook the Subashi Grassland and other snow-capped mountains stretching out. The blue sky and snowy peaks are truly breathtaking.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456