Kashgar Attractions

Getting around Kashgar is a piece of cake –simply rent a bicycle from any bicycle shop dotting the streets.

A quick ride from new to old district shows that urban planning is rather haphazard. Traditional homes are dwarfed by convenient stores and new blockish apartment buildings. Only sections of the outer walls of the old town, some 500 years old, remain standing. Most parts have been demolished to make way for new living quarters.

The visual treats are mostly in the Uyghur Old Town, north of the town center. The main square is a good starting point for touring the city. It has a large clock tower that most definitely won't reflect the time on your watch. Far away from the capital, people in Kashgar follow their own time zone. Kashgar's time is set back 2 hours from Beijing's, so don't be overly surprised to find out you've just entered town in time for breakfast rather than lunch. The square is almost always a hub of activity. By day, fruit vendors, cobblers, bike repairmen occupy the square. Barbershops are everywhere. Heads are given a thorough shave or a robust massage, though few beards seem to go under the razor. At night, the same square is transformed to a shoppers' atrium. A different product is up for sale each night. The flavor of the night could be electronic goods, footwear or an array of fascinating bric-a-bracs piled sky-high.

At every corner, whiffs of cumin and pepper, the aroma of grilled kebabs and baking bread will entice you to stop for a bite. Resistance is futile. Hop off your bike and sample the flavor of the street. Move out of the main thoroughfare and explore the backstreets and you'll find yourself in a rabbit-warren of earthen-walled houses. Occasionally, toothy old folks can be found chatting in Uyghur by the wayside. You may also become magnet for the neighborhood kids. They're very friendly and will be happy to show you the rest of the street or pose for a picture.

DIVINE TOMBS
Id Kah Mosque is in the center of the city and is China's largest mosque. Built in 1442 by Kashgar's ruler Shakessimirzha in what was then the outskirts of the town, the beautiful yellow-tiled mosque has undergone much restoration. The central dome is flanked by minarets more commonly seen in the Middle East. Its exquisite Islamic architecture sets it apart from Chinese styled mosques and its grandness has grown with its increasing stature. Today it's the key place of worship for China's Muslims and each year, tens of thousands of worshippers enter its gates for Friday prayers alone, during Ramadan, worshippers number around 100,000. From a tower above the delicately carved entrance gate, the imam calls Muslims to prayers. A pond in the tree-lined courtyard languidly beckons worshippers to cleanse themselves before entering the main hall. Steps lead up to an enshrined throne, which is cast majestically into the central wall. Remember to be appropriately attired, women will have to don headscarves, and remove your shoes when entering the mosque. To avoid the crowd, visit early in the morning.

Nearby, along Tiyu Lu, is the Tomb of Yus of Has Hajib·, a revered Muslim philosopher whose teachings are widely practiced by the Uyghur community. The tomb has a blue tiled dome, framed by blue topped minarets and the tiles on the walls are decorated with blue flower patterns.

Pushing on a little further, you will arrive at another religious site some 5km northeast of the city center. The Abakh Khoja Tomb is the family tomb of Abakh Khoja, a powerful 17th century Kashgar ruler. Built in 1640, this tomb holds five generations of his family. The tomb is an architectural masterpiece and one of Xinjiang's holiest places. During the Korban Festival, Muslim pilgrims from all over Xinjiang visit this tomb. The first generation buried here was the family of Yusof Khoja, a revered Islamic missionary and upon his death; his eldest son Abakh Khoja continued his work. When Abakh Kohja passed away in 1693, his reputation had far exceeded his father's and the tomb was renamed after him. On the outset, you'll see a pretty gate tower decorated with colorful paintings and beautiful brick carvings. Not far is a lovely pond framed by swaying trees, lending the place a feeling of tranquility.

The tomb complex is comprised of several magnificent buildings, with the Tombs Hall as the central structure. It's easily identified from the outside by its huge dome, which is covered in green-glazed tiles and measures some 17m across. The dome and its four minarets seem like a mini replica of the India's Taj Mahal.

Inside the 26m high, 39m long Tombs Hall are several tombs, each covered by a different colored cloth. Built with glazed bricks, the tombs are decorated with beautiful flower patterns set against a white background. The larger-sized tombs house the males, while the females occupy smaller sized tombs.

To the west of Tombs Hall is the Great Hall of Prayer – a spacious enclosure framed by wooden balustrades. The walls are adorned by handiwork of ancient craftsmen. The other major building is the Doctrine-Hall of Teaching.

Another important tomb is the Xiangfei Mu, which belongs toAbakh Khoja's granddaughter, Iparhan.Legend goes that Iparhan, known as Xiangfeiin Chinese, was taken to the capital to be theimperial consort of the Qing emperorQianlong, who fell desperately in love with her. She spent 28 years in the Forbidden Cityand never saw her family again. There's atomb belonging to her in the Eastern QingMausoleum, where the rest of EmperorQianlong's concubines are buried, but thefinal resting place of her mortal remainscontinues to be a point of contention.

OVERNIGHT TRIP TO KARAKUL LAKE
Hire a four wheeler in the early morning and hit the Karakoram Highway before the heat gets to you. You'll be on the road for 4to 5 hours, give and take the several stops for compulsory picture taking. Hiking around the lake's rugged terrain takes about 5 hours during which you'll see a Kyrgyz village and graveyard cast against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. You get to sleep in tents called yurts at an altitude of 3,600m. It's beautiful, but gets quite chilly at night.