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Kashgar

Locked away in the westernmost corner of China, closer to Tehran and Damascus than to Běijīng, Kashgar (喀什; Kāshí) has been the epicentre of regional trade and cultural exchange for more than two millennia.

In recent years, modernity has swept through Kashgar, bringing waves of Han migrant workers and huge swathes of the old city have been bulldozed in the name of ‘progress’. Only a tiny section of the 'real' Old Town remains today, and is unlikely to survive for much longer.

Yet, in the face of these changes, the spirit of Kashgar lives on. Uyghur craftspeople and artisans still hammer and chisel away as they have done for centuries, traders haggle over deals in the boisterous bazaars and donkey carts still trundle their way through the narrow alleyways. Do not miss the city's Sunday livestock market, which remains a fascinating sight, no matter how many tour buses roll up.

Explore Kashgar

S
Shipton’s Arch
This extraordinary natural rock arch (the rather prosaic Uyghur name means simply ‘mountain with a hole in it’) is one of the tallest on earth. The first…
S
Sunday Livestock Market
No visit to Kashgar is complete without a trip to the Livestock Market, which takes place once a week on Sunday. The day begins with Uyghur farmers and…
G
Grand Sunday Bazaar
Kashgar’s main bazaar is open every day but really kicks it up a gear on Sunday. Step through the jam-packed entrance and allow your five senses to guide…
K
Kashgar Old Town
The Old Town is the soul of Kashgar, and as such the government has spent much of the past two decades knocking it down block by block and building a…
I
Id Kah Mosque
The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. Enormous (it's the largest mosque in Xinjiang),…
A
Abakh Hoja Mausoleum
This 3-hectare mausoleum complex was built by the Khoja family, who ruled the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. Widely considered the holiest Muslim…
M
Mor Pagoda
At the end of a 45km drive northeast of Kashgar are the ruins of Ha Noi, a Tang-dynasty town built in the 7th century and abandoned in the 12th century…
K
Kashgar Museum
This regional museum is not as good as some of the other excellent local museums in Xinjiang, but it's free and includes an incredible 6th-century…
M
Mao Statue
This giant statue of the great helmsman, across from People's Square, is referred to by locals as 'the pigeon keeper', for reasons that will become…

S
Shipton’s Arch
This extraordinary natural rock arch (the rather prosaic Uyghur name means simply ‘mountain with a hole in it’) is one of the tallest on earth. The first…
S
Sunday Livestock Market
No visit to Kashgar is complete without a trip to the Livestock Market, which takes place once a week on Sunday. The day begins with Uyghur farmers and…
G
Grand Sunday Bazaar
Kashgar’s main bazaar is open every day but really kicks it up a gear on Sunday. Step through the jam-packed entrance and allow your five senses to guide…
K
Kashgar Old Town
The Old Town is the soul of Kashgar, and as such the government has spent much of the past two decades knocking it down block by block and building a…
I
Id Kah Mosque
The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. Enormous (it's the largest mosque in Xinjiang),…
A
Abakh Hoja Mausoleum
This 3-hectare mausoleum complex was built by the Khoja family, who ruled the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. Widely considered the holiest Muslim…
M
Mor Pagoda
At the end of a 45km drive northeast of Kashgar are the ruins of Ha Noi, a Tang-dynasty town built in the 7th century and abandoned in the 12th century…
K
Kashgar Museum
This regional museum is not as good as some of the other excellent local museums in Xinjiang, but it's free and includes an incredible 6th-century…
M
Mao Statue
This giant statue of the great helmsman, across from People's Square, is referred to by locals as 'the pigeon keeper', for reasons that will become…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kashgar.

See
Shipton’s Arch
This extraordinary natural rock arch (the rather prosaic Uyghur name means simply ‘mountain with a hole in it’) is one of the tallest on earth. The first…
See
Sunday Livestock Market
No visit to Kashgar is complete without a trip to the Livestock Market, which takes place once a week on Sunday. The day begins with Uyghur farmers and…
See
Grand Sunday Bazaar
Kashgar’s main bazaar is open every day but really kicks it up a gear on Sunday. Step through the jam-packed entrance and allow your five senses to guide…
See
Kashgar Old Town
The Old Town is the soul of Kashgar, and as such the government has spent much of the past two decades knocking it down block by block and building a…
See
Id Kah Mosque
The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. Enormous (it's the largest mosque in Xinjiang),…
See
Abakh Hoja Mausoleum
This 3-hectare mausoleum complex was built by the Khoja family, who ruled the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. Widely considered the holiest Muslim…
See
Mor Pagoda
At the end of a 45km drive northeast of Kashgar are the ruins of Ha Noi, a Tang-dynasty town built in the 7th century and abandoned in the 12th century…
See
Kashgar Museum
This regional museum is not as good as some of the other excellent local museums in Xinjiang, but it's free and includes an incredible 6th-century…
See
Mao Statue
This giant statue of the great helmsman, across from People's Square, is referred to by locals as 'the pigeon keeper', for reasons that will become…

Guidebooks

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