CITY GATEWAY
Kashgar
In Kashgar Old City, visitors, residents, shops and workshops share the same streets. Copperware and moulded pottery are closely tied to bazaar trade and urban life, while gate-opening ceremonies, song-and-dance shows and visitor sessions are organised tourism programmes. Both can be seen, but a staged programme should not replace an understanding of the real community.
Kashgar Old City: bazaars, crafts and everyday life in the lanes
In Kashgar Old City, visitors, residents, shops and workshops share the same streets. Copperware and moulded pottery are closely tied to bazaar trade and urban life, while gate-opening ceremonies, song-and-dance shows and visitor sessions are organised tourism programmes. Both can be seen, but a staged programme should not replace an understanding of the real community.
- Recognise the setting in which culture actually occurs — A slow walk along public lanes is enough to reveal how the Old City lives through its doors, verandas, shops and workshops. At a copperware or pottery workshop, first check whether visitors are welcome, then watch mater…
- Participate only where the setting clearly allows it — For a hands-on session, choose a workshop clearly open to visitors and ask about price, duration, photography and whether the finished piece can be taken away. In a bazaar, comparing prices and buying are normal, but as…
- Separate residents’ lives, ritual and performance — The Old City still contains homes, schools and religious spaces. Do not peer into residences, film life behind doors or crowd children for photographs. Follow local access and photography rules at mosques and during wor…
City sources
Use the original publishers to verify city context, local culture and scope.
- Kashgar Uyghur copperware-making craft — China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network
- Uyghur moulded earthenware firing craft — China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network
- Policy explanation for the Kashgar Old City Protection Regulation — Department of Culture and Tourism of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
Understand the city
Kashgar Old City: bazaars, crafts and everyday life in the lanes
Region: Xinjiang
Places to visit
- Kashgar Old City — Kashgar Old City is a national 5A attraction and a city neighbourhood where people still live, work and attend school. Earthen-to…
- Jinhu Poplar Scenic Area — Jinhu Poplar Scenic Area in Poskam, Kashgar, is a national 5A attraction centred on Euphrates poplar woodland, wetland and desert…
- Pamir Tourism Area — Pamir Tourism Area in Kashgar Prefecture is a national 5A tourist attraction in Tashkurgan, centred on Stone City, Golden Grassla…
- Xiangfei Garden Scenic Area — Xiangfei Garden is a 4A attraction northeast of Kashgar, expanded around the Afaq Khoja mausoleum and its associated historic bui…
- Shache Old City Scenic Area — Shache Old City Scenic Area lies in Shache County, within Kashgar Prefecture in Xinjiang. Its historic core brings together the Y…
Related industries and journeys
- Kashgar Specialty Agri-food Processing Network — Kashgar Prefecture’s multi-county fruit, grain and livestock-processing network
- Southern Xinjiang Cultural Loop — Follow the southern Tianshan and the rim of the Tarim Basin through Kuqa, Kashgar, Tashkurgan, Hotan and Ruoqiang.
- Pamir Plateau Road — Follow the Karakoram Highway from Kashgar to Baisha Lake, Karakul Lake and Tashkurgan for a concentrated view of the Pamir Plateau.