The quarter has grown over many centuries around the trade routes that met at Kashgar, and its form is Central Asian rather than Chinese: flat-roofed mud-brick and timber houses, courtyard gardens, deeply shaded lanes, and buildings that bridge the alleys to gain space above. Many houses have carved wooden doors and painted interiors, and the older ones were built by families who have lived in them for generations.
Why it feels different
Most restored old quarters in China are commercial arcades with little residential life. Kashgar's is not. Children play in the lanes, bread is baked in the street, and the workshops are working rather than staged. A large part of the quarter has been rebuilt or consolidated in recent years, which changed the physical condition of the housing substantially, but the neighborhood structure and the population remain.
What to do
Walk without a fixed route. The main lanes have shops and restaurants; the side alleys are residential and more interesting. Look for the coppersmiths, hat makers, instrument makers and wood carvers, the doorway carvings, and the small neighborhood mosques. Climb to one of the rooftop terraces for a view over the roofs and the surrounding minarets. In the evening the lanes fill with food stalls and the smell of grilling lamb.
Practical notes
The old town is at the center of Kashgar, walkable from the Id Kah Mosque. Allow half a day at least, more if you like to sit and drink tea. Photography is welcome in the lanes but ask before photographing people, and be particularly careful around women and around prayer times. The area is quiet in the early morning and lively after six in the evening, with the longest light in summer.
