Attractions · Kashgar Prefecture

Kashgar Old City is a thousand-year-old adobe city whose maze-like lanes and carved doors and windows display Uyghur character. Its buildings are mostly earth-yellow, with exquisitely carved doors and windows showing the distinctive charm of Uyghur architectural art. The daily gate-opening ceremony is a lively spectacle, with song and dance performances evoking the Western Regions. The old city preserves the most authentic Uyghur street life, with bazaars, craft workshops and century-old teahouses — a living museum of Western Regions street life. Highlights include the gate-opening ceremony (10:30 and 18:00), the maze-like lanes and the carved-door architecture. Tip: join the gate-opening ceremony in the morning, then wander the old city. Practical info: located at Jiefang North Road, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang; free entry; open all day (gate-opening ceremony at 10:30 and 18:00). Best season: autumn (Sep–Nov) brings fruit in abundance and pleasant weather; spring (Apr–May) is also a good time to visit.

Tip: Join the gate-opening ceremony in the morning, then wander the old city.

• Address: Jiefang North Road, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang
• Ticket: Free
• Opening: All day (gate-opening ceremony at 10:30 and 18:00)

Id Kah Mosque was first built in 1442 (the seventh year of Zhengtong of the Ming) on the west side of Id Kah Square in the heart of Kashgar's old city, covering 16,800 square metres. The prayer hall has inner and outer sections supported by 140 carved wooden columns; on 25 June 2001 it was listed by the State Council as a fifth-batch national key cultural relic protection unit. The mosque stands at the heart of the roughly 8.36-square-kilometre Kashgar old city: comprehensive renovation of dilapidated housing began in 2009, and in 2015 the old city scenic area was rated a national 5A-level tourist attraction, with teahouses, copperware and woodcarving workshops clustered around the mosque. Prayers are held in batches daily, and visitors may enter outside prayer times; at the Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr congregational prayers the square fills with worshippers, so it is best to watch from the periphery and follow on-site guidance. Highlights include the yellow brick dome, the prayer hall, the pigeons on the square and the festival crowds. Tip: entry is allowed outside prayer times; dress appropriately. Practical info: located at Id Kah Square, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang; ticket ¥30; opening hours 08:30–20:00 (entry outside prayer times).

Tip: Entry is allowed outside prayer times; dress appropriately.

• Address: Id Kah Square, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang
• Ticket: ¥30
• Opening: 08:30–20:00 (entry outside prayer times)

The Pamir Plateau is home to Muztagh Ata, the 'father of ice mountains'; the 7,546-metre peak is mirrored in Karakul Lake. The water is blue as a mirror, reflecting the snow peaks, while herdsman's songs drift across the grassland — a magnificent highland picture. Along the China–Pakistan Highway you reach the stone city of Tashkurgan, a Tajik area with distinctive ethnic character and the ruins of an ancient stone fortress. Highlights include the scenery along the China–Pakistan Highway. Tip: the Pamir Plateau (towards Tashkurgan) is a border management zone and requires a border permit; foreign visitors should ask a qualified travel agency or hotel in Kashgar to arrange one in advance, as checkpoints are frequent along the route and the permit must be carried at all times. Practical info: located at Akto County, Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture (Muztagh Ata and Karakul Lake) and Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang; ticket for Karakul Lake ¥50 (border permit required for the plateau); open all day. Best season: autumn (Sep–Nov) brings fruit in abundance and pleasant weather; spring (Apr–May) is also a good time to visit.

Tip: The Pamir Plateau (towards Tashkurgan) is a border management zone and requires a border permit; foreign visit…

• Address: Akto County, Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture (Muztagh Ata and Karakul Lake) and Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang
• Ticket: Karakul Lake ¥50 (border permit required for the plateau)
• Opening: All day

Kashgar Livestock Market is one of the largest livestock trading markets in southern Xinjiang and is usually held on Sundays. Before dawn, herders from Kashgar, Shufu, Shule, Yengisar and elsewhere drive in flocks of sheep, cattle, horses and camels, and buyers and sellers haggle amid dust and shouting; around the market are stalls selling baked buns, pilaf, laghman and fruit. This is not a scenic area designed for tourists but a working rural trading site, so ask permission before photographing people. A Sunday livestock market on the northwestern edge of Kashgar, where sheep, cattle, horses, camels and herders from across the region pack the grounds — the most vivid street scene in southern Xinjiang. Not a conventional sight, but it tells you more about Kashgar than many sights do — check the market day first. Highlights include Uyghur herders, market snacks and southern Xinjiang street life. Tip: it is liveliest before noon on Sunday; about 30 minutes by taxi from the city, and wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty. Practical info: located at Huangdi Township on the northwestern outskirts of Kashgar City (location depends on the day's market); free entry; open Sunday about 10:00–16:00 (subject to the local market day).

Tip: It is liveliest before noon on Sunday; about 30 minutes by taxi from the city, and wear shoes you don't mind g…

• Address: Huangdi Township, northwestern outskirts of Kashgar City (location depends on the day's market)
• Ticket: Free
• Opening: Sunday about 10:00–16:00 (subject to the local market day)

Xiangfei Garden is the tomb of the Xiangfei family, the Apak Khoja Mazar, first built in the 17th century and a precious survival of Uyghur Islamic architecture. The tombs in the grounds hold Apak Khoja and members of his family; Consort Rong of the Qianlong emperor came from this family, which gave rise to the folk legend of 'Xiangfei', but after her death the consort was buried in the consort tombs at the Eastern Qing Tombs in Zunhua, Hebei, so this is a family mausoleum rather than the 'hometown of Xiangfei'. Uyghur song and dance performances are held regularly in the grounds, evoking the Western Regions. The buildings are exquisite, with carved doors and windows and coloured glazed tiles showing the distinctive charm of Uyghur architectural art. In fact the tomb of the Xiangfei family — the Apak Khoja Mazar, a 17th-century Islamic tomb complex combining mausoleum, garden and Uyghur architecture — is famous because Consort Rong of the Qianlong emperor (the model for the folk 'Xiangfei') came from this family, and the song and dance performances are excellent. Highlights include the tombs of the Xiangfei (Consort Rong) family. Tip: going in the afternoon lets you watch the song and dance performances. Practical info: located at Haohan Township, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang; ticket ¥30; opening hours 10:00–19:00.

Tip: Going in the afternoon lets you watch the song and dance performances.

• Address: Haohan Township, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang
• Ticket: ¥30
• Opening: 10:00–19:00