Travel Notes|The soul of southern Xinjiang, the old city of Kashgar

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The soul of southern Xinjiang, the old city of Kashgar

Some people say that if you don’t visit southern Xinjiang, you don’t really have been to Xinjiang.

Before this, I have been to Kanas, to Xia Te for hiking, and to Nalati and Qiongkushtai to take wedding photos. Doesn’t that count as a trip to Xinjiang?

 

It’s not like we haven’t been to southern Xinjiang before.

In 2011, after turning around Mount Kailash, we drove along the Xinjiang Line from Ali in Tibet to Hotan. However, due to time issues, Cricket Head and I separated from our friends in Hotan. They continued to drive along the desert road, and we Then fly directly from Hotan to Urumqi, and then fly back to Shanghai.

When we returned from Turkey in May 2016, our flight originally stopped in Urumqi and flew to Shanghai. Due to weather problems, it was temporarily diverted to Kashgar, so we stayed in Kashgar for one night. That time, we saw patrolling armored vehicles on the streets of Kashgar, and for the first time we saw with our own eyes what our domestically produced armored vehicles looked like. Honestly, super cool!

Without in-depth travel, the above two times do not count as visits to southern Xinjiang. At best, it’s just passing by.

From 1990 to the end of 2016, thousands of violent terrorist attacks occurred in Xinjiang. Except for Urumqi, most of them occurred in southern Xinjiang. Except for a few cases with great impact, most cases have not been disclosed to the public due to security concerns (this is not nonsense, but is based on the documentary "China's Xinjiang Anti-Terrorism Frontier").

This is why, although we have been to Xinjiang several times, we have never traveled in depth in southern Xinjiang.

But since 2017, we have never heard of any violent terrorist incidents in Xinjiang.

After the COVID-19 epidemic began in 2020, those of us who are keen on traveling overseas have no choice but to stay at home, so a self-driving trip to southern Xinjiang was naturally included in our itinerary.

There was "Shule" in ancient times and "Kashgar" today. It has a long history of more than 2,000 years.

However, Kashgar today not only refers to Kashgar City, but also refers to the Kashgar region, which governs 12 counties including Kashgar City, Yarkand, Yecheng and Taxian.

The center of the Kashgar region is Kashgar City, and the soul of Kashgar City is in the old city of Kashgar.

We live south of the old city. After leaving the hotel, turn right and enter the south gate of the old city.

 

I purposely walked into the old town on an empty stomach.

The buns are still being baked, but there are none ready to be baked. Don’t wait any longer and go directly to the next one.

 

The freshly baked naan, steaming hot, is being picked out of the oven one by one by handsome Uyghur boys.

"We want two naan."

"5 yuan."

Scan the QR code on WeChat to pay. Each person gets a naan and takes a bite. It’s delicious.

The freshly baked naan is soft and hot, with the aroma of wheat mixed with the aroma of cumin. It's so delicious that you can't stop eating it.

Anyone who has been to Xinjiang is full of praise for Xinjiang’s naan. Moreover, I think the naan in southern Xinjiang tastes better than that in northern Xinjiang.

He was still holding the naan he had just taken a few bites in his left hand, but he was immediately attracted to the freshly baked pancakes in the alley.

Buy one and try it. The small round cakes with melon kernels sprinkled on the surface are sweet and soft, and taste as good as naan. The price is only 1 yuan, which is shockingly cheap.

 

Buy something to drink.

No one can resist the temptation of pomegranate juice. Just looking at the pomegranates on the stall, which are as red as gems and as big as rubber balls, makes me feel happy.

Kashgar is rich in pomegranates and is known as the "Hometown of Pomegranates". During the Han Dynasty, pomegranates were introduced from Iran and other Central Asian countries. Speaking of which, it has a history of more than 1,800 years.

Freshly picked pomegranates, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, sweet and sour, cool and refreshing.

Pomegranate juice too cold? Then have another cup of hot coffee.

Wandering around the old city, I couldn’t stop talking.

In addition to various delicacies, there are also various bazaars in the old town of Kashgar: Blacksmith Bazaar, Hat Bazaar, Woodenware Bazaar, and Musical Instrument Bazaar. . .

 

 

In Uyghur, "bazaar" means market. The Uyghur writing is bazar. Is it similar to the English bazaar?

Bazaars are located on both sides of the main road in the old city and exist in the form of various shops.

The shop owners, while guarding the shop, are busy with their own tasks. Generally speaking, they will not try to sell you, they will only come to you when you ask.

On the contrary, we like this kind of atmosphere. In the blacksmith shop, iron tools are clanging and hammering, and wooden plates are constantly being polished in the hands of the old man. . . Compared to the shopkeepers selling, we prefer to see their concentration when doing handicrafts.

Whether ironware, pottery, musical instruments, or woodware, everything is handmade in the most traditional way.

Slow, but with emotion and warmth.

 

Leaving the main road, you enter a maze of streets and alleys.

 

If the main roads are the work and business of local people, the alleys are their lives.

The criss-crossing alleys are clean, calm and quiet, with the occasional laughter of children playing and playing.

 

 

The houses in the old city are built with raw soil, and the true nature of the native soil is the background of the old city. Simple, but with its own growth rings. It seems to be the same, but in fact there are many changes.

 

Islamic-style carved doors and windows bring a bit of exotic flavor.

Green plants are planted in every household, whether they are flowers in pots, trees in front of the door, or vines struggling to climb the walls, they are all beautiful embellishments of the old city.

 

 

 

However, if you look closely, you will see that the leaves of the plants are covered with a thick layer of dust. Why? Isn't it raining a lot?

After checking the weather in Kashgar, I guessed it right. It does rarely rain in Kashgar. An exaggeration is that it rains three or four times a year. In fact, it only rains in summer in Kashgar, and in the three seasons of spring, autumn and winter, there is almost no rain.

These green plants in the old city basically rely on people to water them.

Natural growth? Totally impossible.

We both fell in love with these alleys in the old city. When we turned a corner, there was another road.

Turn east, turn west, turn left, turn right. . . At first, I tried to figure out the direction, but in the end, I gave up completely.

I'm just looking forward to it, what scene will I encounter when I turn this corner?

 

In fact, before coming to Kashgar Old Town, I had question marks. Because when I was researching information on my travel plan, I learned that the old city of Kashgar had been renovated. Starting in 2010, it took 5 years to complete the renovation. This makes me very worried. Will the old city still feel "old" after the renovation?

Kashgar, as a thousand-year-old city on the ancient Silk Road, is one of the largest existing native architectural complexes in the world.

Will the sense of time integrated into residential buildings disappear with the renovation?

Now it seems that I am completely relieved.

Why should the old city be renovated?

Earthen houses with civil structures are not earthquake-resistant at all, and Kashgar is an area with high seismic intensity. Most of the old houses, layered one on top of another, are in danger after being washed away by wind and rain. In addition, the road is too narrow. If a fire breaks out, the fire trucks cannot get in, and they can only watch the house burn down. And once it rains, the water will not flow out and will only damage the wall.

In short, the sense of vicissitudes of the old city that we tourists like to see is a pain in the hearts of the residents.

There is a local jingle, "Sewage is evaporated, garbage is blown by the wind, water pipes are hung on the wall, and toilets are climbed up," which vividly expresses the suffering in the hearts of the residents.

The total investment in this old city renovation that started in 2010 is as high as 7.049 billion yuan. In order to protect the original ecology, a one-household-one-design model was adopted. In order to allow residents to understand the design drawings, several artists were even hired to hand-draw design renderings using sketches.

Many of the doors and windows of the houses we see now were removed from the old houses and installed in the new homes. This not only preserves the traces of time passed down by each family's ancestors, but also maintains the style of the old city.

If you want to know what the old city of Kashgar looked like in the past, you can watch the movie "The Kite Runner".

This Afghan film was produced by the United States in 2006. Due to the war in Afghanistan, the actual filming location in Kabul in the film was Kashgar in Xinjiang.

The clutter of the old city of Kashgar that we cannot bear is the most peaceful and beautiful scene in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, depicted in the film.

 

 

Highly recommend this movie.

"for you, a thousand times over" For you, a thousand times over. What my friend Hassan said to Amir touched countless people, including myself.

I wanted to get back to the main road, but I had no direction at all. Cricket said, "Follow me."

I looked at him confused, "Do you really remember the direction?"

"Yes!" Looking at the way he shook his head, you could tell he was very sure.

After a while, we actually returned to the main road, where a row of food stalls stood on the street.

"How do you know you can go back to the main road?"

"Because I'm awesome!" Cricket Tou deliberately lied. Then, I found out that the access code was hidden in the floor tiles of the old city.

Parallel floor tiles arranged horizontally: it means a dead end with no way to go.

Slanted bricks staggered up and down: means that all roads are open, and you can go any way you want.

Hexagonal floor tiles: means access to various main roads.

Isn't it interesting? The roads in the old city may seem complicated and chaotic, but in fact they have their own rules.

After walking around for a long time, I was not tired, but it was getting colder and colder. Hurry up and drink a bowl of pigeon soup. You must know that pigeon soup is a specialty of Kashgar and has a history of hundreds of years.

Cricket Head took a photo of the delicious food and showed it off on his WeChat Moments, "To: You who are hungry~~"

As a result, friends screamed in the message: "The C position must be the meat of the pot! ! "

Is the meat in a vat so delicious? Then let’s arrange dinner.

Put a large piece of mutton in an extra large enamel jar, add some onions and carrots, put it on the stove, and simmer the mutton soup.

No seasonings, just one word, fresh! fragrant! Tender!

I have to say that Xinjiang's mutton is so Delicious!

After eating the meat, go drink tea.

The 4.25-square-kilometer old city of Kashgar is divided into two areas by the busy Jiefang North Road, which is divided into east and west areas. We used to mainly hang out in this area on the east side. If we want to drink tea, we have to go to the west side.

The most famous "century-old teahouse" is in the west area. The largest mosque in the country, the Id Kah Mosque, is also in this area.

We originally headed straight for the century-old teahouse. Unexpectedly, as soon as we entered the west side of the old city, we were attracted by the singing from the teahouse on the street.

An old Uyghur man was clapping his tambourine and singing a song, while another old man was playing the jewap to accompany him. Next to him, a middle-aged uncle was dancing with his arms waving. Looking at his intoxicated look, I wonder if he is a teahouse arranger or a tea drinker?

Because the Uighurs are good at singing and dancing, no matter men, women, old or young, they can dance to the music at any time.

This kind of atmosphere is very attractive. I really want to sit down, but there are no seats available.

Listening to the singing, visiting the street shops, admiring the original ecological handicrafts and musical instruments sold in the shops, and then seeing the sign on the roadside - Oil Painting Street, I realized that it turned out to be an art district. No wonder this street has so many inexplicably many Created some artistic atmosphere.

I was attracted again by the melodious singing, which came from an attic in the small square.

I climbed upstairs to find out. Three old people were playing and singing. One old man had his hands folded, his eyes slightly closed, and he was dozing off. It turned out to be a teahouse, but it was so deserted that there was almost no business.

The century-old teahouse is not far from the attic, but its business is completely different. It is crowded with people inside and outside, and it is very noisy.

I frowned and walked up to the second floor. It was even more crowded than the first floor.

 

The travel photographer, dressed as a Uyghur girl, was sitting on the carpet in the pit taking pictures. "Pour the tea slowly, yes, smile a little," the experienced travel photographer commanded while clicking. Press the shutter button.

Travel photography is also a business in the old city of Kashgar, and you can take a set for 300 yuan.

Prices in the old city are very affordable and have not increased due to the increasing number of tourists.

Looking at the balcony again, there are tables full of people. I didn’t want to stay for a minute longer, so I grabbed the cricket’s head and fled quickly.

It is said that the century-old teahouse, just like its name, has a history of a hundred years, and the current owner is the fourth generation.

The reputation is so great that it attracts tourists in droves, which makes its business but also completely destroys the atmosphere.

We went directly to the small attic to drink tea, chose a small round table near the band, ordered a pot of tea, a plate of cashews, and a plate of raisins, and listened quietly to their playing and singing.

 

They were immersed in the music, as if we didn't exist.

But I like this feeling. Our presence does not make them feel uncomfortable.

Needless to say, I prefer this little-known teahouse - Gufang Tea Restaurant to the century-old teahouse.

Therefore, when traveling, don’t put too much faith in the recommendations of travel guides. What to believe? Trust your feelings.

The most unexpected thing is that this is the center of the performance show at 18:30 every day. The princess of "The Princess Chooses Her Man" stands on this small building and throws the hydrangea.

After the performance, the excitement subsided, and the small square returned to tranquility.

We walked to the Id Kah Mosque not far from here.

The yellow walls and plain and simple appearance make it hard for me to believe that this unprepossessing mosque is actually the largest mosque in China. So far Over 500 years of history During the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty, Built by Shaks Mirza, the ruler of Kashgar.

After admiring the grandeur and splendor of the Blue Mosque in Türkiye, let's take a look at Kashgar The simplicity of the Id Kah Mosque is so different that I don’t know how to describe it.

 

(Türkiye Blue Mosque)

It seems that the government really didn't spend much money on the Id Kah Mosque, but when you think of the 7 billion spent on the renovation of the old city, it is really a big deal.

Compared with religion, people's livelihood is the most important.

Suddenly, from the simple appearance of the mosque, I understood the deep meaning of the government.