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Kashgar in Brief
Xinjiang Girl
The city of Kashgar, Xinjiang (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), is situated at the western extemity of the Tarim Basin, which also represents the western extremity of the Taklamakan Desert. Kashgar was the westernmost outpost of ancient China, and the westernmost junction of the Tarim Basin Silk Road routes (one northern and one southern), serving as well as the juncture for the Silk Road route that branched southward into India via the Karakoram Pass. The city of Kashgar has one of the richest patchwork histories of any city in the world, especially in terms of past ethnic, religious and cultural diversity; Kashgar was truly a crossroads in every sense.
As is often the case, the unique attribute that contributes most to the greatness of a person or a thing is also its Achilles heel, or the attribute that contributes most to its weakness. France's President De Gaulle once lamented the prospect of governing a people (viz., the descendants of Obelix and Asterix, aka, the French people) who produce over 246 different cheeses. One might similarly ask, with Kashgar in mind, how one can hope to please - without being cheesy - a region that has been governed by 246 different rulers, as it were.
Id Kah Mosque
The present-day city of Kashgar has lost much of its diversity, in every sense, having become, over a millenium ago, a home away from home to the Uyghurs, one of the many nomadic Turkic tribes that arrived in waves in ancient China from the vast region to the north, much of it desert and steppe, that stretches from the Altay Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. As was the case with many of the other cities of the Tarim Basin at the time (the 10th century CE), the Uyghurs of Kashgar converted from Buddhism to Islam, whereafter the religious as well as the ethnic diversity of the region narrowed considerably.
It is hard to imagine any place on earth that has seen so many different rulers - and whose citizens, taken collectively over time, have exhibited such a diverse mix of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds - as the city of Kashgar, as the next section, which is a historical odyssey of dimensions, illustrates.
Kashgar Tourism
Kashgar Bazzar
Starting from the city center, you can see the Id Kah Mosque on Jiefang Lu. It is the largest mosque as well as the center of Islam in Xinjiang. On Sundays and holidays, thousands of Moslems will gather here to pray. Some of the young Uygur men wear their national costumes and dance happily to show their thanks to god. The mosque itself is also an excellent architectural work worth visiting. Women are not allowed to enter mosques according to Islamic regulation. However, as a tourism attraction, Id Kah Mosque accepts women visitors with special permission. The locals go to church on Friday of each week. On Fridays no women are allowed to enter the mosque for any reason.
The Old Town District of Kashgar, which is located opposite the Id Kah Square outside the mosque is also attractive. It is the best place to experience the everyday life of the locals as well as the traces of history. This Old Town District has a history as long as 2,000 years. Traditional workshops are scattered every corner here, making pottery products, colorful caps and other folk handicrafts. The locals are warmhearted. You may even get a chance to have dinner with one of the families.
Abakh Khoja Tomb
Getting out of the Old Town District, you can take Bus No.20 at Renmin Square to the nearby Abakh Khoja Tomb. The tomb is located in Haohan Township, five kilometers (3.1 miles) northeast of Kashgar City. It is a typical Islamic mausoleum where the large family of an Islamic leader buried. Abakh Khoja Tomb is commonly known as Fragrant Lady's Tomb. Fragrant Lady was one of the favorite concubines of Emperor Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The tomb is like a magnificent palace and there are several ingenious mosques around it.
Taking Bus No.20 to Dongmen Stop, you will come to the biggest bazaar in northwest China --- Grand Bazaar (also known as Central Asia International Grand Bazaar) at Kashgar. It has a history of more than 2,000 years and was known as 'the largest bazaar in Asia' in ancient times. There are over 5,000 booths in the bazaar selling thousands of goods, including some folk handicrafts like knives and carpets. It is a shopping heaven for visitors.
Karakuli Lake
If you are looking for natural beauty, Kashgar will also satisfy you:
Mt. Muztahgata means the 'father of iceberg' in the Tajik language. It is an important destination for mountaineers and also the only way to Khunjerab Pass from Kashgar. This lofty white mountain towers elegantly, regarded as a symbol of pure love by the Tajik.
Lying at the foot of Mt. Muztahgata, Karakul Lake is 191 kilometers (118 miles) from Kashgar's city center. It is a moraine lake surrounded by a series of high mountains. The white-capped Mt. Muztahgata inverts its reflection in the blue lake, where the mountain and the lake echo each other's beauty. It is truly a god-given scene worth experiencing.
The Khunjerab Pass is situated in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) from Kashgar, a significant crossroad on the world-famous Silk Road. The pass is close to the Pamirs in the west and near Karakoram Range in the south. Because of the foul weather, the pass is only open to the public from April 15th to October 15th.
With an elevation of about 4,727 meters (15,509 feet), the pass is a border between China and Pakistan and was named 'No.7 Mere Stone'. In Xinjiang, it is also the only highway trades pass open to Pakistan and other countries. It had become an important door to the Middle East, India and Europe.
This high mountain pass was once the key route of the time-honored Silk Road. Xuanzang passed through this place in Tang Dynasty (618-907) and recorded the old civilization of Taxkorgan County titled with "Qiepantuo State" in Pilgrim to the West in Tang Dynasty. Nowadays, with the prosperous border trade between China, Pakistan and other countries, this pass has built a bridge for exchanging culture and economy between China and Central Asia. This provides a vital nexus for linking friendly neighboring countries. In addition, the nongovernmental frontier trade develops rapidly. Kashgar becomes the flourishing market site for Uygurs (Uigurs), Tagiks (Tajiks), Khalkhas and Pakistanis.
The opening up of the Khunjerab Pass brings not only new prosperity of the ancient commercial city – Kashgar, but also the new look of Taxkorgan.
How to get ther
By plane: Kashgar Airport (IATA: KHG) is 18km north of the town center. Flights are available to/from Urumqi. A taxi to the city should cost about yen;22 by meter. Shuttle buses leaving from the International Hotel at People's Square are available for 10RMB per person.
By train: Kashgar Railway Station is the main train station in the city. It is on Renmin East Road. Although it is east of the town center, the distance is too far for walking. Bus 28 connects the city including Renmin Square, to the train station. From the train station, walk out and turn right and you will probably see a bus waiting there already. The fare is ¥1 and is paid onboard. If you do not know where you are going, get on bus 28, get off at Renmin Square and figure things out from there; the downtown is walkable and Xinhua Bookstore, is right next to the main square where you will be able to purchase the best maps of Kashgar for about ¥5-8 (however, these maps are only in Chinese).
From the train station, Qinibagh and Seman Hotels can be reached a couple of stops after Renmin Square on bus 28 and then walking uphill for about 5 minutes; the people on the bus can probably help you and most people on the street know where these places are.
