Sights in Xīnjiāng
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Abakh Hoja Maziri
On the northeastern outskirts of town is the Abakh Hoja Maziri, covered in splendidly mismatched glazed tile and best known among Uighurs as the resting place of Abakh Hoja, one of Kashgar's more popular rulers. Purportedly among others interred is Ikparhan, his granddaughter. Known as Xiang Fei ('Fragrant Concubine'), she led the Uighurs in revolt, was defeated and ended up Emperor Qianlong's concubine.
reviewed
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Turpan Museum
Touted as the 'second-largest museum in Xīnjiāng' (the first is in Ürümqi), the museum houses a bountiful collection of relics found at archaeological sites in the Turpan Basin, as well as a hall of dinosaur fossils. Pop in here before signing up for a tour; the photos of nearby sites might help you decide what you'd like to visit.
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Old Town
Sprawling on both sides of Jiefang Lu are roads full of Uighur shops and narrow alleys lined with adobe houses right out of an early-20th-century picture book. Houses range in age from 50 to 500 years old and the lanes twist haphazardly through neighbourhoods where Kashgaris have lived and worked for centuries. It's a great place for strolling, peeking through gates, chatting up the locals and admiring the craftsmen as they create their wares.
The Chinese government has shown little affection for the old town, however, and has spent the past two decades knocking it down, block by block. During our short stay we witnessed dozens of old homes bulldozed.
The old neighbourhoods…
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Livestock Market
No visit to Kashgar is complete without a trip to the Livestock Bazaar and since it only occurs once a week (on Sunday) you'll need to plan accordingly. The day begins with Uighur farmers and herders trekking into the city from the nearby village. By lunchtime just about every sellable sheep, camel, horse, cow and donkey within 50km has been squeezed through the bazaar gates. Trading is swift and boisterous between the swarthy old traders; animals are carefully inspected and haggling is done with finger motions. Happy buyers then stuff their sheep in the back of a taxi or truck and lurch away. It's dusty, smelly, crowded, disorientating and wonderful all at once. The big …
reviewed
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Abakh Hoja Tomb
On the northeastern outskirts of town is the Abakh Hoja Tomb, covered in splendidly mismatched glazed tiles and best known among Uighurs as the resting place of Abakh Hoja, one of Kashgar's more popular rulers. Purportedly among others interred is Ikparhan, his granddaughter. Known as Xiang Fei (Fragrant Concubine), she led the Uighurs in revolt, was defeated and ended up Emperor Qianlong's concubine. Take bus 20 from the main square (Renmin Guangchang) heading east until the last stop. A taxi is Y10.
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A
Xīnjiāng Autonomous Region Museum
The massive Xīnjiāng Autonomous Region Museum, with 10 halls, is a must for Silk Road aficionados. The highlight is the locally famous 'Loulan Beauty' of Indo-European ancestry, one of the desert-mummified bodies that became a Uighur independence symbol in the 1990s. Other exhibits include Buddhist frescoes from the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves and an introduction to all of the province's minorities. From the Hongshan intersection, take bus 7 for four stops and ask to get off at the museum (bówùguǎn).
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Sunday Market
A Uighur primer: 'Boish-boish!' means 'Coming through!' You'd best hip yourself to this phrase, or risk being ploughed over by a push cart at the Sunday Market, which, despite its name, is open every day. Step carefully through the jam-packed entrance and allow your five senses guide you through the market; the pungent smell of cumin, the sight of scorpions in a jar, the sound of muqam from tinny radios, the taste of hot samsas and the feel of soft sheepskin caps are delightful, and overwhelming. A section on the northern side of the market contains everything of interest to foreign visitors, including the spice market, musical instruments, fur caps, kitschy souvenirs and…
reviewed
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Id Kah Mosque
The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the heart of the city − and not just geographically. Enormous, its courtyard and gardens can hold 20,000 people during the annual Qurban Baiyram celebrations.
Non-Muslims may enter, but Fridays are usually no-go. Dress modestly, including a headscarf for women. Take off your shoes if entering carpeted areas and be discreet when taking photos.
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Erdaoqiao Market
This former Uighur market is no better than a Chinese-run tourist trap these days, but the streets to the north are still the centre of Ürümqi's Uighur community.
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C
Hóngshān Park
More of an amusement park, with better views than People's Park. Also has north and south entrances.
reviewed
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Kashgar Regional Museum
This museum is on the eastern edge of Kashgar. Despite half-hearted attempts to liven up the exhibits here, most travellers come away underwhelmed.
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D
Sunday Market
Hotan's most popular attraction is its weekly Sunday market . The colourful market swamps the northeast part of town and reaches fever pitch between noon and 2pm Xīnjiāng time. The most interesting parts to head for are the gillam (carpet) bazaar, which also has a selection of atlas silks, the doppi (skullcap) bazaar and the livestock bazaar.
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Silk Workshop
Past the carpet factory, southeast of Hotan, is the small town of Jíyàxiāng (吉亚乡), a traditional centre for silk production. You can look around the fascinating workshop (sīchóuchǎng; atlas karakhana in Uighur) to see how the silk is spun, dyed and woven using traditional methods. A return trip by taxi to the workshop, taking in the carpet factory, costs Y60.
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Shipton's Arch (Tushuk Tash)
This natural rock arch is reputedly the tallest on earth, an incredible 1200m high. The first Westerner to describe it was British mountaineer Eric Shipton during his visit to the region in 1947. Successive expeditions attempted to find it without success until a team from National Geographic rediscovered the arch in 2000. The arch, located 80km northwest of Kashgar, receives few visitors. Kashgar-based tour operators can organise day or overnight trips. The journey involves one hour over paved highway, one hour over a rough 4WD-only track and then 30 minutes of steep climbing. The ascent to the arch involves climbing up ladders to an elevation of 2800m; bring sturdy shoe…
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Qiuci Palace
Located in the old town is the newly restored (ie rebuilt) Qiuci Palace, bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty and the residence of the kings of Qiuci until the early 20th century. The Qiuci Museum housed here has a wonderful collection of Buddhism-related frescos (some are replicas) and human remains from the ruins nearby. Behind the museum, the ancestral hall displays the history of the Qiuci kings and photos of the life of the last king, Dawud Mahsut, who still survives.
Take bus 1 on Tianshan Lu and get off at the last stop, then walk 1km further.
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Qiūcí Ancient City Ruins
These ruins, located on the main road, are all that is left of the capital of Qiūcí. It's a 20-minute walk northwest of the main intersection where Tianshan Lu forks in two, or bus 4 will take you there. Expect, well, not much.
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Melikawat Ruins
The deserts around Hotan are peppered with the faint remains of abandoned cities. The most interesting are those of Melikawat, 25km south of town, a Tang-dynasty settlement with wind-eroded walls, the remains of pottery kilns, Buddhist stupas and scattered potsherds. Some scholars believe Melikawat was a capital city of the Yutian state (206 BC–AD907), an Indo-European civilisation that thrived during the height of the Silk Road epoch. A taxi should cost about Y100 to Melikawat.
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Imam Asim
About 10km beyond Jíyàxiāng lie an interesting cemetery and the Imam Asim(Tomb of Four Imams), reached by a paved road. It's a popular pilgrimage site, particularly during the month of May. The cemetery lies on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, so coming out here is a good opportunity to enjoy the desert scenery and slide down the sand dunes. The best day to visit is Thursday, when a festive market springs up by the roadside, about 2km before the tomb.
reviewed
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E
Hotan Cultural Museum
West of town is the regional Hotan Cultural Museum. The main attractions are two 1500-year-old Indo-European mummies from the ancient city ruins around Hotan. Take buses 2 or 6 from the town centre to get here.
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Ha Noi Ruins & Mor Pagoda
At the end of a 45km drive northeast of town are the Ha Noi Ruins, a Tang-dynasty town built in the 7th century and abandoned in the 12th century. Little remains beside a solid pyramid-like structure and the huge Mor Pagoda (莫尔佛塔; Mù'ěr Fótǎ).
Flag down any taxi in town. A round trip, including waiting time, is Y100 to Y150.
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F
Èrdàoqiáo Market & International Bazaar
The Uighur market, Èrdàoqiáo Market(Èrdàoqiáo Shìchǎng), and the International Bazaar (Guójì Dàbāzhá), have undergone extensive 'redevelopment' in recent years. The carpenters and blacksmiths that once worked in the nearby alleys have all but vanished and the target customers are no longer Uighur traders but Chinese tour groups, who arrive in droves. Planted in the bazaar is a replica of the Bukhara Minaret in Uzbekistan. This one, of course, has an elevator to the top. The area is bursting with restaurants, snack stalls and souvenir stands, plus the odd camel brought in for tourist photos. The non-traditional has also arrived in the form of a KFC and Carrefo…
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Emin Minaret
Emin Hoja, a Turpan general, founded this splendid Afghan-style structure in 1777. Also known as Sūgōng Tǎ, its 15 simple brick motifs, including flowers and waves, leap from the structure. Unfortunately, the minaret is closed. Unless you have a burning desire to get up close, it's possible to snap a photograph of the minaret from the entrance without paying the admission fee.
Biking or strolling the 3km to get there is half the fun, the dusty, tree-lined streets an evocative – and fascinating – glimpse into 'old' Turpan. If the heat is too much, hop on bus 6 from the corner of Gaochang Lu and Laocheng Lu.
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City Mosque
There are several mosques in town. The most active of them, City Mosque , is on the western outskirts about 3km from the town centre.
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