Passing through Kashgar—Short Visit to Kashgar

There is a sentence “Seeing scenery of northern Xinjiang, experiencing customs in southern Xinjiang “. Sunrise of Hemu Northern Xinjiang, Kanas Lake, the sunset and the stars at night in white Haba Village are remained in the bottom of my heart. With these charming sceneries we flew to the southern Xinjiang Kashgar to enjoy the rich ethnic customs here.

Kashgar has long been praised as “the pearl of the Silk Road”, and it has the most distinctive Xinjiang characteristic and the characteristics of the uygur ethnic customs. Geographically Kashgar is located in between the Karakoram and the Taklamakan Desert, is the westmost city in China. In the southern Xinjiang tour, Kashgar is the place where we pass the most time, we pass through Kashgar for three times for transferring, but the actual sightseeing time is only one and a half day.

 

The whole city at sunset
 

 
► Apak Hoja Tomb

The ticket is 30 Yuan, and it is located in the Kokand village, 5 kilometers east of Kashgar. It is key cultural relics protection unit of department of the autonomous region and is a typical ancient architectural complex, also is Islamic holy tombs. My deepest impression is that the round shape and half moon totem stand on the building and prosperous roses around. There is a large roses in front of the tomb.

 

► High platform local-style dwelling houses

“Never coming Kashgar just like never visiting to Xinjiang, and never coming to high platform local-style dwelling houses just like never visiting to Kashgar”. On the first evening to Kashgar, we came to see the high platform local-style dwelling houses. They were built in the southeast of the Kashgar old city with highest terrain of loess high cliff. Existing residents 603 households and a population of more than 603 people, all for the uighurs. The residential houses built with mud and cypress. The uighurs generation inhabit here, along with the family population increased, they make full use of the terrain and space, adding a building upon the original house, building “arcade” to solve the problem of housing problem. The alleys inside the dwelling houses like maze, visitors who are unfamiliar with the route will easy to get lost. And the old city of tiles is exquisite, hexagon brick road means “A way out” and rectangular brick road means “Not a Through Road”.

 

 

Although it is opened as tourist attractions, community residents' life is not affected. Kids frolic, around their house and are very happy. The traditional uygur dwellings, door leafs are double door, and door opening and closing has a lot of meaning. If double doors open, suggests that home owners of man and woman are at home, and they welcome visitors and tourists for both men and women, tourists can knock at the door; if there is just a door open, and another door closed, suggests that the man is in the home, visitors can also knock at the door to get in and be the guest; if double doors are closed but unlocked, so, no men allowed, because only the hostess is at home but ladies can knock at the door and go in.

 

► Id Kah Mosque

Id Kah Mosque is one of the largest Islamic mosques in Xinjiang and is one of the three most influential great mosques in central Asia. It is famous for its great size and national characteristics with its long history. Here is Muslim holy land of the whole Xinjiang, every week Muslims come here to mosque are up to two to three thousand people, and in Friday Jumah Day prayers who come to worship in the afternoon up to six to seven thousand people. And during Eid al-adha, all Muslims from everywhere in Xinjiang will come here to worship and rejoice all night long.
 

► Charming night at East Lake

Night in Kashgar is colorful and you can't imagine that this is completely western border city. High ferris wheel, twinkling neon lights, colorful lights, the shiny rainbow bridge and charming lights lit up the Tuman River. A breeze washed against my face, tiredness of the day fade away. Calm lake, sparkling lights let a person feel like place in modern city, looming high platform local-style dwelling houses in light bring a mysterious breath, the collision of modern civilization and the ancient civilization here to make you fall in love with it.