A place you must visit in your lifetime! Experience the ancient city with a thousand years of Western Region charm

🌺 The beauty of Kashgar is the pomegranate flowers sprouting from cracks in the earthen walls and the steam rising from the tandoor mixed with exotic music.

🏛️ Gao Tai Residential Houses: 600-year-old earthen pottery maze (Free!)
🕘 Opening hours: 9:30 AM - 8:30 PM (last entry at 8:00 PM, but actually you can enter until 9:00 PM before dark)
🔥 Must-see highlights:
🏜️ - Living fossils on the cliff: 640 Uyghur earthen houses embedded in a 40-meter loess cliff, with poplar wood frames and mud walls that look crooked but are as solid as a rock. Century-old houses are everywhere.
🛤️ - Alley exploration: Dive into 50 maze-like alleys, watch pottery artisans wheel-throwing, carpet workshops dyeing threads, and enjoy sunset views over the city from the rooftop viewing platform of the high cliff teahouse. The golden light on the layered rooftops is breathtaking.
💡 Tip: Some old houses are under renovation inside (the exterior is fully open). Recommended to spend 1 hour.

🏰 Kashgar Old City: East and West District Highlights
🟢 East District (Half-day cultural and lively tour)
🕥 10:30 AM East Gate opening ceremony → Buy hand-painted pottery jars at Huapen Bazaar → Climb to the top of the That’s Slow Hostel in the Sky Garden to shoot Kunlun Tower → Drink herbal tea on the third-floor terrace of a café in an old city corner → Eat freshly baked rose naan from Grandpa’s Grandpa’s naan shop → Enjoy crazy roasted buns at Han Bazaar (2 RMB each!).
📸 Photo spots: Rainbow Alley blue walls, Bag Alley tapestry street, colorful wooden doors around corners!

🟢 West District (Half-day artistic slow life tour)
🕌 Id Kah Mosque (free to view outside, 20 RMB to enter the prayer hall) → Listen to rawap performances at a century-old teahouse → Hunt for hand-painted maps at Zebra Commune → Stroll and shoot photos in Taha Alley → Relax at a café in an ancient alley with a night view of Kunlun Tower.
🍵 Hidden gem: Every Friday at 3:00 PM, the old teahouse offers free singing and dancing shows. Order a pot of rose tea for 8 RMB and sit all afternoon!

⚠️ Pitfall Avoidance Guide
1️⃣ Sunscreen essentials: Kashgar’s UV rays can cause peeling! Ice sleeves + straw hat + sunglasses are more effective than sunscreen.

2️⃣ Time difference trap: Local schedule is 2 hours later than inland China! Night markets get lively only after 10:00 PM, and pilaf restaurants sell out before 2:00 PM.

3️⃣ Food do’s and don’ts:
✅ Blue Ram BBQ (3 RMB/skewer with flatbread)
✅ Alizati pilaf (fragrant with yellow radish and lamb leg)
❌ Pre-cut fruit in scenic spots (spoils easily), artificially colored pilaf.

🚗 4. Transportation: Walk inside the old city! For taxis, use East Gate or Id Kah Mosque as your location. Airport to old city costs 25 RMB, don’t get scammed.

📆 2-day itinerary
🗓️ Day 1: Gao Tai Residential Houses (best light at 5:00 PM) → East District street tour → Han Bazaar night snack
🗓️ Day 2: West District old teahouse → Id Kah Mosque → Xiangfei Garden (45 RMB to watch wedding performance) → Half-day tour of Baisha Lake (shared car 150 RMB/person)

📌> Key reminder: Gao Tai Residential Houses are free but have limited entry! During peak season, it’s recommended to visit early at 10 AM or late at 7 PM to avoid crowds; Pamir Plateau requires a border permit applied one day in advance (free at the old city police station).