Kashgar Old Town

The Old Town of Kashgar, a district of Uygur Islam, is a lively scroll painting of Uygur folk custom. Covering 4.25 square kilometers and inhabited by 126,000 people, the Old Town district is the soul of Kashgar, reflecting both the city's ancient past and the peaceful present.

Streets in the district criss-cross and dwellings are spread throughout. Most houses are soil-timber or masonry-timber structures, and some have been standing for over 100 years. It is the only labyrinth urban block featuring Islamic culture in China. Strolling in the old town, visitors will find the life of the people enjoyable. Manual workshops are open, old looms are creaking, pottery is being sold and folk artists are singing on the narrow roads. What's more, Indian, Arab, Chinese and ancient Greek influences are felt in the style of housing. Many residences in the old town incorporate Roman columns, Persian woodcuts, Buddhist lotus piles, Indian plaster sculptures and Russian windows.

Kashgar Old Town is home to the Uygur ethnic group and visitors will be immersed in Uygur culture here: their festivals, clothing, songs and dances. You can also sample a wide variety of Xinjiang food here, including shashlicks, roast steamed buns and a kind of crisp pancake named "nang".