Kashgar is a city locateDin the westernmost corner of China, andwas an intersection point of the routes of the south, north, andcentral ancientSilk Road. In the 2nDcentury, Kashgar was one of thekingdoms in the western regions, andduring the Tang Dynasty, it rose to become one of the four key towns of the west. There are many attractions in this small city, including its beautiful natural scenery, an idyllic rural life, andits mysterious ethnic cultures. The intelligent Effendi, the protagonist of a famous Chinese legend, was believeDto have come from Kashgar.
It has been saiDthat if one visits Xinjiang without making a trip to Kashgar, it is asifhe h as neverreally b e ento X in jian g ?this shows the impor- tance of Kashgar in the to u r is t map of Xinjiang. Kashgar borders onTa j i k is t an, A f g Hanis t an, andP a k is t an, andis a neighbor of K y r g h i z s t ananDin dia, w ithits borDermea - suring8 8 8km ?
Kashgar is a melting pot of China’s traditional culturesanDlocal ethnic cultures. It is also abounDwith the beau- ty of natural landscape andforeign atmosphere. Several daily international flights operate in Kashgar, andthey fly in many foreign tourists, who have become a common sight in the streets of Kashgar. Many visitors from other parts of China have the feeling of arriving in a foreign land, especially when they are greeteDby the warm andfriendly smiles of the Uygur people, which are undoubt- edly Chinese .
The foreign flavor in Kashgar has become a charm- ing attractio no f the city. As a key stopover station in the ancient Silk Road, Kashgar gaineDan advantage in terms of its terrains. Being an easily accessible city, it became the earliest open international market in China’s west- ern regions. Since the Han Dynasty, friendly messengers from foreign regions haDtraveleDpast the great des- erts in camel caravans into China, andreturneDto their countries with precious products of China, such as silk andchinaware. They also tradeDwith local merchants the commodities that they brought from their countries. Trade inevitably transformeDthe city into a busy andprosperous center of trade. Here, one can finDthe largest trade market in southern Xinjiang, calleDDongmen Ba- zaar, where tourists can finDbeautiful anddelicate craft- eDUygur accessories like hats, finely crafteDYengisar knives, copperware, andpottery, which are all rich in eth-nic flavors.
Prosperity that is brought by international trade allowsfor much space for the fusio no f Chinese andWestern cul- tures. Such fusions left behindarich historical heritage to the city. The most prominent building in the city center is an Islamic structure, the IDKah Mosque, which is Asym- bol of Kashgar. The meaning of “IDKah” in the Uygur language means “festival” or “a joyful city square.” IDKah Mosque was built in 1442, andhaDundergone a large-scale extension, becoming the largest mosque in China. It is 140 meters long, and120 meters wide. It is the religious center of Xinjiang, andwhere the Muslims cel- ebrate their religious festivals. On the days of prayers andfestive days, thousands of Muslim will gather here for prayer. Worshippers put on festive Uygur costumes, andthere are songs anddances that last through the night. It was certainly a lively sight to behold.
Also worth visiting is the well-known Abakh Khoja tomb, which is believeDto house the tomb of the Fragrant Concubine, a concubine of the Qing emperor Qianlong.
The name of Fragrant Concubine was actually Ipar- han. As her body constantly emittedarich jujube scent, she was later calleD“Xiang Fei”—Fragrant Concubine. The architectural style of the tomb is inline with a typical Islamic tomb. It has a history of 350 years andis protecteDby the government as a key cultural heritage site. Within the tomb are five generations from the Fragrant Concu- bine’s family, totaling 72 people. The top of the tomb is shapeDlike an inverteDpot, andthe structure underneathit is rectangular. Its exterior is decorateDwith blue, greenanDyellow glazeDtiles. From afar, the tomb is a colorful andeye-catching sight andresembles a granDpalace. It is a cultural heritage of Kashgar andisarepresentative of ancient architecture intelligence of the ethnic people of Kashgar.
Kashgar is also a producer of a wide variety of fruits. It produces over 500 species of grapes, parts of which are useDin making wine andare alsom a De in tor a is in s ?
T ourist s en - j o y w al k ingt h r o u g h thestree t s of Kashgar with b unDlesof fresh grapesin the i r hands, savor-ing the juicy fruit.
