4．Kashgar, a Fascinating City in Xinjiang

Kashgar(喀什噶尔), also known as Kashi(喀什), is the westernmost frontier city in China bordering Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan on the 888-kilometer boundary line. Kashgar Bazaar, the International Grand Bazaar of Middle and West Asia is the biggest international trade market in Northwest China. Merchants come from China's different ethnic groups and from neighboring countries. Nobody will leave the market empty-handed!

Ninety-two percent of Kashgar's population is Uyghur, and the rest are mostly Han, Tajik, and Uzbek. The city is very clean even if it might still be as it was in the era of the Silk Road. Kashgar has few cars, only some motorcycles, small buses rarely crowded, and carts pulled by donkeys. Most of the women cover their heads, and men wear a woven qiapan or a knitted cap. On arriving in Kashgar, you would feel as if you were in a North African or Middle Eastern country.

The world-famous Kashgar Id Kah Mosque(艾提尕尔清真寺) is the largest, the most influential and the most typical example of Muslim architecture in China. Its large square, surrounded by museums, restaurants, and dress shops, is always full of life—people walking, chatting, resting, playing, and trading. Rare fruits, such as figs, are on sale in the nearby market in the famous“home of fruits and melons.”

Kashgar is beautiful, dynamic and charming. With rich cultural resources, the city has everything to please those who truly appreciate the exotic, and to leave visitors with sweet, unforgettable memories.