Explore Wuqia in 1 Day: Culture & Bazaars

The ancient city of Kashgar is located in Xinjiang and has a history of several hundred years. It is one of the famous tourist attractions in Kashgar and even Xinjiang. Most of the buildings in the ancient city are full of unique styles. The streets are crisscrossed and have a unified style, which is very suitable for taking pictures. Tourists strolling in it seem to have walked into the exotic land of Central Asia, which is very spectacular. In addition, the ancient city of Kashgar is also an important filming location for the movie "The Kite Runner". You can come here to find familiar scenes in the movie.

The old city of Kashgar is mainly composed of Id Kah Temple. It is an irregularly shaped urban area with a length and width of nearly 2 kilometers. There are many streets and alleys in the old city, where you can stroll around and take pictures along the way, which takes about half a day. The recommended route is to visit Id Kah Temple first, then travel east along Chasa Road, and end the tour at the high-rise residential buildings on the east side and Kashgar East Bazaar. In addition, many tourists who come to Kashgar will stay in the old city and spend a few days slowly savoring the historical charm here.

Visiting the ancient city of Kashgar means appreciating the unique architecture and streets here. Most of the buildings in the ancient city have been renovated, and the houses are relatively new and intact, but the rich local customs have been retained during the renovation. Here you can see colored earth walls and brick walls, with round arches, colorful doors and windows and other special decorations, which are very beautiful and can be photographed along the way. In addition, if you want to experience more primitive and unique architecture, you can also visit the high-rise houses on the riverside on the east side of the ancient city.

In addition to appreciating the architecture, many tourists will also visit the many special shops on the streets of the old city. Almost every street in the old city has its own theme, called a bazaar ("Bazaar" means market in Uyghur). Among them are Kantuman Bazar (Blacksmith Street), Dopa Bazar (Flower Hat Street), Flower Pot Bazar, Handicraft Bazar, Pottery Bazar, etc., each with its own characteristics, which can be seen along the way. There are also teahouses with special styles on the street, vendors selling special snacks such as grapes, naan, goat milk ice cream, etc., and you can also eat and stroll while shopping, which is very pleasant.

In addition, there are some houses in the city that you can visit. Generally, there are instructions on the door of these houses. After entering, you can visit the interior of typical local houses, but you usually need to buy some household goods. On the streets of the old city, you can also see grandfathers basking in the sun and children playing, with a strong sense of life.

There are several important attractions when visiting the ancient city. For example, the Id Kah Temple in the ancient city is one of the largest temples in the country. The temple has magnificent buildings, and the five daily prayers are even more grand, which can witness the strong religious atmosphere. The high-rise residential buildings on the east side of the ancient city are the preserved ancient city areas, and the mud houses and cross-street buildings are very unique. The Kashgar East Bazar (i.e. Kashgar Central and West Asia International Trade Market) across the river on the east side is a famous shopping mall in Kashgar, where many Xinjiang specialties and handicrafts such as dried fruits, silk products, essential oils, and Yingjisha knives are gathered.