Stepping into Kashgar is like being transported into one of the thousand and one nights of The Arabian Tales.
This far-flung city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a must-see for its beautiful scenery and intoxicating culture. Miraculously, modern China peels away to reveal the arresting sights, sounds, fragrance and atmosphere of a 2,000-year-old Middle Eastern town. Open air markets hum with squawking livestock and the buzz of locals. Every so often, old mosques peep out from a labyrinth of well-worn, humble homes and rouse the neighborhood with calls to prayer.
Perched on the western rim of the world’s largest inland basin, the Tarim Basin, and nestled beside the desolate Taklamakan Desert, which ominously means: “those going in never return”, Kashgar is an oasis carved of sand and stone.
Located in a little cul-de-sac, framed by desert dunes, and rolling mountains, Kashgar was once a last stop outfitting station and trading post for travelers and merchants plying the ancient Silk Road that linked China, India, Pakistan and the great Roman Empire. Today, trade continues to weave its timeless magic.
In the ancient enclave called the Old Town (gǔchéng 古城), sinuous dirt paths barely two-mules wide are lined with age-old shops. Generous legs of lamb, succulent mutton strips, leather, pots of all shapes and sizes or caps for every occasion hang from rickety wooden beams – the same as it’s been for centuries. Newer shops announce their service on signboards in three languages: Uyghur, Chinese and English for the adventurous foreigner.
This mesmerizing Muslim city tucked away in China’s westernmost frontier brims with color and contrasts. Fridays and Saturdays may be quiet prayer days but when Sunday comes around, watch the city thrive with life. The entire community and visitors by the thousands throng Kashgar’s famed Sunday Market.
Kashgar is miles from nowhere, but the items that turn up at its markets are varied. At the weekly Animal Bazaar, fowl and various four-legged animals are scrutinized, prodded and traded. One or two donkeys may even be taken for a test drive.
Observe the traders closely for their bargaining is an ancient art form; the sellers and buyers indicate their asking price and counter-price by scripting it into each other’s palms all the while shaking each other’s hand.
The people of the region give Kashgar its unique vitality and charm. Over a dozen of China’s ethnic groups live in Xinjiang and the majority can be found in Kashgar, several belong to nomadic tribes from nearby mountain villages. Uyghurs, mostly Sunni Muslims, form the largest ethnic group. Be prepared for a melting pot of Central Asian faces that mingle harmoniously in street corners and in the maze of roadside stalls and teahouses.
An extremely relaxed bunch, the locals spend the sizzling summers lounging in ubiquitous snack shops. They chat, smoke and sip salty milk tea. Attire is comfortable and diverse. The older men sport Abraham Lincoln beards and doppa (skullcaps), which are fur lined in winter. The younger men wear neat shirts, with sleeves rolled to the elbows and long pants. Women’s fashion is more varied, a few are in head-to-toe burkhas and some sport headscarves; many are in rainbow-hued dresses and long skirts. Sandals are very popular in summer and children can be seen pattering about barefoot.
BIKING IN KASHGAR
Getting around Kashgar is a piece of cake – simply rent a bicycle from any bicycle shop dotting the streets.
A quick ride from new to old district shows that urban planning is rather haphazard. Traditional homes are dwarfed by convenient stores and new blockish apartment buildings. Only sections of the outer walls of the old town, some 500 years old, remain standing. Most parts have been demolished to make way for new living quarters.
The visual treats are mostly in the Uyghur Old Town, north of the town center. The main square is a good starting point for touring the city. It has a large clock tower that most definitely won’t reflect the time on your watch. Far away from the capital, people in Kashgar follow their own time zone. Kashgar’s time is set back 2 hours from Beijing’s, so don’t be overly surprised to find out you’ve just entered town in time for breakfast rather than lunch. The square is almost always a hub of activity. By day, fruit vendors, cobblers, bike repairmen occupy the square. Barbershops are everywhere. Heads are given a thorough shave or a robust massage, though few beards seem to go under the razor. At night, the same square is transformed to a shoppers’ atrium. A different product is up for sale each night. The flavor of the night could be electronic goods, footwear or an array of fascinating bric-a-bracs piled sky-high.
At every corner, whiffs of cumin and pepper, the aroma of grilled kebabs and baking bread will entice you to stop for a bite. Resistance is futile. Hop off your bike and sample the flavor of the street. Move out of the main thoroughfare and explore the backstreets and you’ll find yourself in a rabbit-warren of earthen-walled houses. Occasionally, toothy old folks can be found chatting in Uyghur by the wayside. You may also become magnet for the neighborhood kids. They’re very friendly and will be happy to show you the rest of the street or pose for a picture.
DIVINE TOMBS
Id Kah Mosque (àitígǎ’ěr qīngzhēn sì 艾提尕尔清真寺) is in the center of the city and is China’s largest mosque. Built in 1442 by Kashgar’s ruler Shakessimirzha in what was then the outskirts of the town, the beautiful yellow-tiled mosque has undergone much restoration. The central dome is flanked by minarets more commonly seen in the Middle East. Its exquisite Islamic architecture sets it apart from Chinese styled mosques and its grandness has grown with its increasing stature. Today it’s the key place of worship for China’s Muslims and each year, tens of thousands of worshippers enter its gates for Friday prayers alone, during Ramadan, worshippers number around 100,000. From a tower above the delicately carved entrance gate, the imam calls Muslims to prayers. A pond in the tree-lined courtyard languidly beckons worshippers to cleanse themselves before entering the main hall. Steps lead up to an enshrined throne, which is cast majestically into the central wall. Remember to be appropriately attired, women will have to don headscarves, and remove your shoes when entering the mosque. To avoid the crowd, visit early in the morning.
Nearby, along Tiyu Lu, is the Tomb of Yusof Has Hajib (yùsùfǔ hāsī hājífǔ língmù 玉素甫•哈斯•哈吉甫陵墓), a revered Muslim philosopher whose teachings are widely practiced by the Uyghur community. The tomb has a blue tiled dome, framed by blue topped minarets and the tiles on the walls are decorated with blue flower patterns.
Pushing on a little further, you will arrive at another religious site some 5km northeast of the city center. The Abakh Khoja Tomb (ābā huòjiā mù 阿巴霍加墓) is the family tomb of Abakh Khoja, a powerful 17th century Kashgar ruler. Built in 1640, this tomb holds five generations of his family. The tomb is an architectural masterpiece and one of Xinjiang’s holiest places. During the Korban Festival, Muslim pilgrims from all over Xinjiang visit this tomb. The first generation buried here was the family of Yusof Khoja, a revered Islamic missionary and upon his death, his eldest son Abakh Khoja continued his work. When Abakh Kohja passed away in 1693, his reputation had far exceeded his father’s and the tomb was renamed after him. On the outset, you’ll see a pretty gate tower decorated with colorful paintings and beautiful brick carvings. Not far is a lovely pond framed by swaying trees, lending the place a feeling of tranquility.
The tomb complex is comprised of several magnificent buildings, with the Tombs Hall as the central structure. It’s easily identified from the outside by its huge dome, which is covered in green-glazed tiles and measures some 17m across. The dome and its four minarets seem like a mini replica of the India’s Taj Mahal.
Inside the 26m high, 39m long Tombs Hall are several tombs, each covered by a different colored cloth. Built with glazed bricks, the tombs are decorated with beautiful flower patterns set against a white background. The larger-sized tombs house the males, while the females occupy smaller-sized tombs.
To the west of Tombs Hall is the Great Hall of Prayer – a spacious enclosure framed by wooden balustrades. The walls are adorned by handiwork of ancient craftsmen. The other major building is the Doctrine-Hall of Teaching (jiǎngjīng tang 讲经堂).
Another important tomb is the Xiangfei Mu (xiāngfēi mù 香妃墓), which belongs to Abakh Khoja’s granddaughter, Iparhan. Legend goes that Iparhan, known as Xiangfei in Chinese, was taken to the capital to be the imperial consort of the Qing emperor Qianlong, who fell desperately in love with her. She spent 28 years in the Forbidden City and never saw her family again. There’s a tomb belonging to her in the Eastern Qing Mausoleum, where the rest of Emperor Qianlong’s concubines are buried, but the final resting place of her mortal remains continues to be a point of contention.
OVERNIGHT TRIP TO KARAKUL LAKE
Hire a four wheeler in the early morning and hit the Karakoram Highway (zhōngbā gōnglù中巴公路) before the heat gets to you. You’ll be on the road for 4 to 5 hours, give and take the several stops for compulsory picture taking. Hiking around the lake’s rugged terrain takes about 5 hours during which you’ll see a Kyrgyz village and graveyard cast against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. You get to sleep in tents called yurts at an altitude of 3,600m. It’s beautiful, but gets quite chilly at night.