The full name of Kashgar is "Kashgar", which means "the place where jade is concentrated". It is a bright pearl on the ancient Silk Road. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. , a place where multiple religions coexist and multiculturalism gathers. It is famous all over the world for its long and profound history, wonderful and splendid culture, rich and famous products, and strong and simple folk customs. It is an excellent place to experience ethnic characteristic tourism. Enjoy It has the reputation of "not going to Xinjiang if you don't go to Kashgar".
After a tiring trip, I had a big meal at a Chinese restaurant called Guipengyuan for dinner. It felt like the best meal I had since I started my trip to Xinjiang.
East Lake Plaza
After the meal, a local friend led us to watch the night view of Kashgar, first to East Lake Square. Although it was nearly 23:00, the square was still buzzing with people and it was extremely lively.
Looking into the distance, the terrain is a bit lower, and at first glance it looks like a huge sunken square, brightly lit, crowded with people, so lively. The roof is dotted with colorful lights, and the building like an open shell is an urban planning exhibition hall. On both sides are artificial lakes covering an area of more than 80,000 square meters. The two strings of red lanterns in the distance are particularly eye-catching. In fact, the string below is the water reflection.
Eager to explore the ancient city of Kashgar, I did not go deep into the lake, but only looked at it from a high place.
The square is full of local residents walking and relaxing at night, and the enthusiastic and cheerful square dance accompanied by music attracts the attention of many people.
Look at the dancing postures and the dancers, it is completely authentic and authentic Xinjiang dance. Ladies dress uniformly, while men do whatever they want. Maybe they danced impromptuly, but the smiles on the dancers' faces are just as bright, from the bottom of their hearts. hapiness.
The high-rise buildings along the street display changing patterns of light and shadow, and the desert camel caravan trek along the ancient silk road. The atmosphere here makes foreign tourists feel the strong ethnic customs, which generates great resonance and heartfelt pleasure.
The old city of Kashgar is located in the center of Kashgar, with Renmin Road in the south, Seman Road and Yawag Road in the north, Yunmu Laksha Road in the west, and the Tuman River Sightseeing Belt in the east, including the Tuman River Scenic Belt, East Lake, and Nanhu Lake. and People's Park and other panoramic open attractions.
Kashgar night
Continue to walk for a few minutes, and you will come to the east gate of the ancient city of Kashgar. The tower of the east gate is towering and towering. It is the largest gate of the ancient city. A grand opening ceremony is held here every morning.
The neon lights are flashing, the light beams are changing, the music is melodious, singing and dancing are peaceful, and it is a scene of prosperity and joy.
Kashgar TV Tower, with heavy makeup and changing light and shadow, adds color to the night view of the ancient city.
A street, full of popularity and vitality, may be the place that best reflects the night view of the old city. If you haven't visited the old city, you can't jump to conclusions, but it is at least one of them.
A huge copper pot, which I saw many times on the streets of Kashgar, is it a representative of local characteristics?
I wonder if the ethnic musical instrument in Xinjiang is called "Dutar"? Not only can it play music, but it can also be displayed as an exquisite handicraft, simple and unsophisticated but chic and elegant.
Geng Gong Temple, the tallest building in the old city. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records that Geng Gong, the school captain of the Western Regions in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was trapped by the Xiongnu army in the city of "Shule". The water source outside the city was cut off, and there was no water in the city. In a critical situation, Geng Gong trimmed his clothes, knelt down and bowed to the sky, drew out his long sword, and after digging three feet into the ground, the spring gushed out. When the Huns learned that there was water in the city, they immediately withdrew their troops, thinking that there was help from the gods. This is the well-known story of "Shule worships the spring to retreat the Huns", and this clear spring has been known as "Geng Gongjing" since then.
Zuo Zongtang led an army into Xinjiang. Liu Jintang, the frontline commander, drove the Agubai invading army out of Xinjiang, and set up the camp in Kashgar. He presided over the construction of a rather spectacular Genggong Temple at the highest point of the old city of Kashgar. temple.
The food court in the ancient city of Kashgar, across the road from the ancient city, is also brightly lit.
After watching the beautiful scenery of the ancient city, it was already midnight, to be precise, it was already after midnight. Traveling is hard, but hard work is fun!
Kaicheng ceremony
In the morning of the next day, go outside the east gate of the old city and wait for the opening ceremony at 10 o'clock.
Kashgar has been the largest city in southern Xinjiang for hundreds of years. It is the general intersection of the western ends of the north, middle and south lines of the ancient Silk Road. It has always been a transportation hub and commodity distribution center between China and the West. Eight countries, all the way to Europe and Asia" geographical advantage.
Blue sky and white clouds, lush flowers and trees, many tourists have gathered outside the majestic city tower, with three floors inside and three floors outside, it is quite spectacular. The ancient city of Kashgar is the first famous historical and cultural city in Xinjiang. It has the most representative historical and cultural landscape and is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Xinjiang.
I have read some travel notes, and there are many actors in national costumes dancing in the opening ceremony, and the scene is cheerful and enthusiastic. Why are there only two men waving their arms and dancing today, and their clothes are ordinary. Is it different because of different days? However, the dance of these two men has already played a role in attracting jade. Amidst the sound of music, onlookers and tourists joined the dance ranks one after another. The team continued to grow and the scene was lively.
It can be seen clearly during the day, the city wall at the east gate of the old city is obviously higher, and the city wall looks towering and imposing.
On the city wall on the right side of the city gate, various buildings are scattered and arranged in an orderly manner. That is the Kashgar Impression Street that I walked through last night.
The old city of Kashgar is composed of various types of bazaars: flower pot bazaar, hat bazaar, gold bazaar, cloth bazaar, musical instrument bazaar, corn bazaar, cotton bazaar, livestock bazaar... The grand occasion of "the goods are clouded, people gather like bees, and rare treasures are often found; livestock and fruits are especially innumerable" has continued to this day.
On the north side of the east gate is the flowerpot bazaar, in addition to shops, there is also an earthenware exhibition hall. Clay pottery has a long history in Kashgar. As a folk handicraft handed down from generation to generation by the Uyghur people, it has been continuously inherited and developed.
Earthen pottery is mainly made of natural clay, combined with hand-made and high-temperature firing methods, and then made with colors and patterns. It is simple and elegant, fully reflecting the unique aesthetics of the Uyghur people.
An article sighed: Bazaars and transactions are the eternity left by the Silk Road to the old city of Kashgar. The unremarkable shops are all connected to Central Asia, South Asia, and the world beyond; the shopkeepers who seem to be ordinary people may be merchants who travel on the Silk Road.
Ancient city style
The Atour Hotel where we stayed is located on Renmin West Road, just across the road from the ancient city.
On the 10th floor of the hotel, the rooms facing the street can overlook the ancient city of Kashgar. The houses are densely packed, there are no high-rise buildings, and the tone is earthy yellow.
The old city of Kashgar covers a total of 8 square kilometers and has 220,000 residents. There is another saying: the core area of the ancient city scenic spot is 1.57 square kilometers, with 12,000 households and nearly 40,000 people. The ancient city of Kashgar is currently the most well-preserved urban block in China. It is not only a tourist area, but also a daily life area, commercial area and gourmet area for residents.
Guide map of the ancient city of Kashgar, the entire ancient city is radially expanded from the center of the Aitiga Grand Mosque, with 13 main streets and nearly a hundred alleys. The streets and alleys meander, the winding paths lead to seclusion, flexible and changeable. The main road running through the middle of the ancient city is Jiefang North Road, which virtually divides the old city into east and west parts (personal opinion).
Since the Qing Dynasty set up counselors and ministers in Kashgar in 1760, as the political, economic, cultural and transportation center south of Tianshan Mountain, the population of Kashgar City has increased rapidly, and the old city cannot accommodate people, so it began to expand to the west of today's Jiefang Road. Laining City was built in 1762, less than 1 kilometer away from the old city. By 1839, the area between Laining City and the old city had been completely built as residential buildings, and the Qing Dynasty was stationed in Kashgar Aqim Berk County King Zu Heerding (that is, "Akenm Berk Early Dun" in the history books) Presided over the city expansion project, moved the west wall of the city to Yumrak Xiehaier Road, connected with the original Laining City, and opened a new south gate at the old post and telecommunications office, called "Kumuderwaza" (Sramana), the South Gate The area has become a prosperous handicraft area, forming a new city centered on the Aitiga Grand Mosque.
Without careful homework, I chose to enter the ancient city from the south entrance on the west side of Renmin Road, thinking about visiting from west to east. As soon as I entered the ancient city, I saw a huge copper pot by the roadside, which was exactly the same shape as what I saw in the night of the ancient city last night.
The ancient city of Kashgar is one of the largest surviving adobe buildings in the world, covering 171 tourism resources in 6 categories, including natural landscapes, relics, architectural facilities, cultural activities, and tourism commodities, and has a world-class intangible cultural heritage. 1 item, 14 items at the national level.
Introduction to the Old City Wall: The old city of Kashgar has a history of more than 2,000 years. In the 1st century AD, there were Panlu City and Kashgar City. In the 16th century AD, Kashgar City was built during the Yarkand Khanate period. In 1762, Laining City was built, and the city gate site here is the south gate built in 1838, which is called Kumederwaza, which is translated as Shamen in Chinese.
The original population density and building density in the old city of Kashgar were high, and most of the residential buildings were civil, brick and wood structures, with poor earthquake resistance; there was basically no public infrastructure, and it was inconvenient for the people to live. In 2010, the renovation project of the old city was launched. After the reconstruction, the ancient city retained the architectural art of the local ethnic minorities, inherited the local folk culture, made life convenient for the people, and revived the youthful vitality of the thousand-year-old city.
The residents of the old city of Kashgar are mainly Uighurs, with strong ethnic characteristics, and are the most representative in the entire Xinjiang region. The folk houses here are very characteristic. Generally, people build small buildings with two to three floors of civil structure on a limited plane, and some extend downwards to build basements. Each household has a small courtyard for growing flowers or placing bonsai. Flowers, green plants and various flower decorations on the pillars, wood carvings and overhanging eaves of the building complement each other, and they are well arranged, quiet and fresh.
Jingqi Lane runs from northwest to southeast, with a total length of 280 meters and a width of 4 meters. Jingqi (Uighur language) means a scale maker, so the local residents have always been named after making wooden steelyards.
The century-old teahouse is famous, and tourists come here in droves. We also go with the crowd and really want to sit here, order a pot of hot tea, accompanied by local snacks, and experience the fun of a teahouse.
Going up to the second floor of the teahouse, it is very lively, tea customers are sitting on the floor, it is overcrowded, there are bursts of music, and dancers are dancing.
It's too noisy, just take a look, take a stroll around, and retreat if you know what you're interested in.
In fact, there are many teahouses in the old city, which can be seen everywhere. A few steps away from the century-old teahouse, there is an ancient tea restaurant in Kashgar with colorful lights.
Oil painting a street.
The Oil Painting Street on Boyi Road, Wusitang, the ancient city of Kashgar is an artistic street specially built for oil painting lovers. The block is clean and tidy, simple and elegant, and has a strong artistic atmosphere. It is an online celebrity check-in place, and there are currently more than 30 galleries in Oil Painting Street.
The outer skin of the second floor of the building has been peeled off, and the civil building structure can be clearly seen. The unfired earth bricks (whether it is the so-called raw earth structure) erect the walls, which intuitively show the local architectural characteristics. Just such a structure, the earthquake resistance is indeed not strong.
After walking through the streets for more than an hour, we walked out of the western half of Kashgar Old City, came to Jiefang North Road that runs through the old city, and continued to visit the eastern half of Kashgar Old City. I have seen the introduction of the historical evolution of the old city, and the eastern part of the old city has a longer history.
Jiefang North Road is a main street in Kashgar City, where cars pass through and businesses are bustling, and there are many stalls on the sidewalks, bustling and lively.
Leave Jiefang North Road (should also be part of the old city), turn right and enter the eastern part of the old city of Kashgar. This seems to be a street for catering, row upon row of shops selling food, a dazzling array of colorful things, and a denser flow of people.
Mutton meat, an old-fashioned large enamel teapot, with large pieces of mutton in it, which is always heated on the stove.
Although there are many delicacies, they are not quite right for the taste. People of our age still like to talk about food that is easy to digest. After feasting your eyes, walk back to the hotel along Jiefang North Road.
Pass by the Kashgar Regional Administrative Office, No. 46 Jiefang North Road. At present, there are very few in China that still retain the title of Regional Administrative Office. (When necessary, the people's governments of provinces and autonomous regions may, with the approval of the State Council, establish several administrative offices as their dispatched agencies to supervise, inspect, and guide the work of the people's governments of the counties, cities, and autonomous counties to which they belong, and handle the affairs of the competent departments of the people's governments at higher levels. tasks assigned.)
People often say that when traveling in Xinjiang, "the northern Xinjiang sees the scenery, and the southern Xinjiang sees the customs." After visiting the old city of Kashgar three times, I fully realized that this statement is true. Although there are still many places in the old city that have not been set foot, there is a little regret, but after all, it has been three times, which has opened the eyes and feasted the eyes. The old city of Kashgar has a long history, unique architecture, and strong ethnic customs. It is much larger than the Yining Kazanqi Ethnic Customs Area and Bagua City Lijie, and the customs and customs are more exciting. It is definitely a place to see. Don't get tired of it, a city that you want to come back to again.
