Kashgar Old City

Overview
Kashgar Old City is a lively scroll painting of Uygur folk custom. It is covering 4.25 square kilometers and inhabited by 126000 people at present. It is regard as the soul of Kashgar City, you can see ancient past and the peaceful present of Kashgar. The old part area of Kashgar is the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia.It is the only labyrinth urban block featuring Islamic culture in China.

History of Kashgar Old City
It was originally called Shule some 2000 years ago, which was recorded by Zhang Qian, an ambassador assigned by the emperor to control and develop the west region in Han Dynasty (202B.C-220A.D.). In Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was set up as Shule Town with the proof of the existing Mo'er Buddhism Pagoda located 20 kilometers east of Kashagar city center. Furthermore, the Old city was also the site of the ancient Karakhanids Kingdom (11th-13th centuries).

What to see in Kashgar Old City
Kashgar Old City is consists of the fancy natural landscape, full-bodied folk habits and custom, brilliant historical streets and featured Uygur houses. Most of the houses are built by mud and wood with beautifully carved wooden ceilings. The structured roof, walls, doors, windows and colors remain unchanged for centuries. Many houses are even passed down through seven or eight generations.Each house has a courtyard. Similarly, all the yards grow the Muslim-favored trees and flowers, such as mulberry, figs, megranate, almond, grape, rose, China rose. The yards are heavily shaded, proving a tranquil environment for relaxing and refreshing. Inside bigger yards, the owner even built up a pergola for grape vines.

You can walk through th narrow streets to experience the local lifestyle. To see and learn the local handcrafits from craftswomen. Crop-haired girls in bright frocks and mismatching plastic sandals giggle and shove as they see strangers; To enjoy the local sing and dance. It is a good pleasure to visit and share your time with locals.

Basic Information
Location: In the Downtown of Kashgar, about 15 minutes' walk from the famous Id Kah Mosque
Entrance Fee: 30CNY
Opening Hours: open all day
How to get there: 1) Take city bus No. 2,8,13,22,28 can from Kashgar downtown to Kashgar old city; 2) Take taxi

Travel Tips
1. It's available to visit local Uygur family. But there some tips you should know,if a house has its two doors open, it means the host is at home, if the house only has one door open, it means 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, the bricks paved on the road are the direction indicators, according to which 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 paved with some quadrilateral bricks, the front should be a dead end.