This yellow-tiled mosque is the largest in all of China, and the most iconic building here in Kashgar. It's great to visit here during the Muslim holidays, such as the end of Ramadan, the Qurban Festival, when tens upon thousands of Uyghur from all across Xinjiang converge on this mosque to worship. (chanting playing on loudspeakers) Kashgar's Old City. Now some may argue that this rebuilt city really isn't something worth seeing, but I disagree, and the reason is this. Yes, Kashgar's Old City has been rebuilt, and it doesn't quite look the same as it used to, but the Uyghur still live here, they still work, and the children still play in the streets, and really that's what gives Kashgar's Old City life. Besides, if you really wanted to see the Old City, what it was like before it was demolished and rebuilt, there's a small portion left on the east side of the city that you can walk through. (energetic upbeat vocal music) Shipton's Arch, the largest natural arch in the world, located northwest of Kashgar in the Artush Region. It was first discovered in 1947 by Eric Shipton, the British consul here in Kashgar, and was rediscovered in the year 2000 by a National Geographic Expedition.
The Kashgar Sunday bazaar and livestock market,
these are both great places to experience new sights, sounds, and a unique aspect of the Uyghur culture. (energetic upbeat vocal music) It used to be that both of these places were located in the same place right outside the city, but thanks to the smell of the animals, they decided to separate it, so you can still find the Sunday bazaar right across the river on the east side of town, whereas the animal market has been moved way to the northwest, a good long taxi ride away, but still worth going out to see. (energetic upbeat vocal music) The Apak Khoja mausoleum, this green glazed tile building was built in 1640 to honor, well, Apak Khoja, a ruler of Kashgar during the time. Five generations of his family is buried here, including the Fragrant Concubine, and interesting story of a young woman who's natural body scent was so fragrant that it caught the attention of Emperor Qianlong in Beijing, who took her into his royal harem. (energetic upbeat vocal music) Last but not least, the Karakoram Highway. If you're in Kashgar, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't actually make it up the Karakoram Highway, at least to the Karakul Lake, if not to Tashkurgan.
There's so much to see along the way, including the Pamir mountains, a number of different bodies of water, like I said, the Karakul Lake, which is a glacier-fed lake, absolutely gorgeous, and of course, once you make it up to Tashkurgan, you can see the Tajik culture, get to experience the grassland lifestyle, that include yurts and a lot of farming. This is a trip that can be done in maybe two days, but if I were you, I'd budget at least three, if not four days to really take your time and enjoy going up and back the Karakoram Highway. If you're looking for even more things to do in Kashgar, I recommend you head west to the village of Upal, or perhaps east to the ancient city of Hanoi. If you're really adventurous, you can head out to the Taklamakan desert to ride a camel. Whatever you decide, you can find all the information on these places and so much more in the Far West China Xinjiang Travel Guide. You can download a free planning chapter at www.XJTravelGuide.com. Oh, one more thing, and I know because you've watched this far that you've really enjoyed this video, so do me a favor, give it a thumbs up or comment to let me know what you think.
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