Ancient Charm in a Modern World

　　Called “the best-preservedexample of atraditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia”by American architect and historian George Michell, the oldcity of Kashgar is a vital cultural intersection on the historicSilk Road in the remote west of China’s Xinjiang UygurAutonomous Region.

　　Michell made this observation in his 2008 book Kashgar:

　　Oasis City on China’s Old Silk Road. Before him, German-Swiss film director Marc Forster made similar remarks concerninghis decision to film Kite Runner (2007) in Kashgarinstead of Afghanistan, where the story was set.

　　Sand-colored houses, women dressed in various kindsof hijab, and men in robes and skullcaps - all of this makesKashgar stand out as different from many other places inChina. More than 95 percent of Kashgar’s residents are ofnon-Han ethnicity, whereas people of minority ethnicitiescomprise less than half of the population in the regionalcapital of Urumqi. It is said that without traveling to Kashgar,you cannot say you have really been to Xinjiang.

　　Much of the architecture in the old city remains as itwas 2,000 years ago when Uygur people settled in Kashgar.More than 126,800 people call the 4.25-square-km areahome.

　　Long old life

　　Skyscrapers and old houses see each otheracross a singlestreet in Kashgar. A ferris wheel in an amusement park oppositethe old city demarcates an apparent boundary, butthe screams of parkgoers riding rollercoasters drift into theold town from time to time.

　　Kashgar’s old city can be divided into two parts - one,packed with workshops, vendors, cafes and restaurants,has been tidily renovated. New developments withUygur characteristics have emerged since 2009, andbazaars have been reorganized according to typesof wares: hats, food and musical instruments, toname a few categories.

　　The residential buildings are as they were,built at higher altitudes normally two or threestories tall and built of mud and wood, withbeautifully carved ceilings. The original supportstructures have remained unchanged for centuries,and many houses have been passed downthrough families for seven or eight generations.

　　Each house has a courtyard, some big and some small.

　　Similarly, all the yards feature trees and flowers favored byMuslims, such as mulberry, fig, pomegranate, almond, grapeand roses. The yards are heavily shaded, providing a tranquilenvironment for relaxation. Larger yards feature pergolas forgrape vines.

　　To walk through the narrow lanes of the old cityis towalk into living history. Craftswomen stitch traditional fourcornereddoppa caps. Girls with cropped hair wearing brightfrocks and mismatched plastic sandals giggle and shove oneanother, then sing and dance for their audience. The realpleasure here is to wander and watch.

　　Amago Rajim, a 58-year-old woman, has been livingin a two-story house for 40 years. She can see skyscrapersand the amusement park from her living room. “Theview is spectacular from the window and we get plentyof sunshine,” said Rajim. “The neighbors are all long-timefriends and we know each other pretty well. Living here isvery happy.”

　　Every weekend, their four children and seven grandchildrenvisit the home inherited from her in-laws.

　　“We also have an apartment in a modern buildingin Kashgar and we go there to spend winter as thewinter here is very cold,” said Rajim, who revealedthat people need to burn coal themselves to keepwarm. “Both my husband and I have tracheitis so wecannot stay here in winter.”

　　Thirteen-year-old Akada has been here for eightyears. “The neighbors are very friendly and wehave known each other for a long time, so itfeels very good and safe,” said Akada, who liveswith his parents and grandparents in a two-storyhome. “I want to live here forever.”

　　There are still some time-honored shops hidden in the narrow lanes. Atop the residentialarea is a famous earthenware shop that has beenowned by the Zunon family for six generations.

　　Tursun Zunon, 48, started to learn pottery when hewas only 10 years old. In those days, it was practicallythe only type of daily-use container around and morethan 30 households in the old city made a living makingit by hand. A craftsman could provide for a family of 12children.

　　“It was not easy in those days as all the materials hadto be collected from different places and carried here byhorses or camels, which normally took quite a few days,”said Zunon. “But now with the fast delivery service, it isno problem at all.”

　　The family suffered in the mid-1980s when plasticand iron replaced earthenware. Only four households,including Zunon’s, still produced pottery until a tourismsurge in the 1990s transformed earthenware from adaily necessity into a souvenir.

　　Zunon earns about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($326to$489) a month, enough for basic living. Although theyhave electricity, Zunon still pedals his pottery wheel theold-fashioned way to keep his work authentic. He hasthree daughters and a son who he hopes will take overafter him.

　　Old town, new life

　　To the west of the residential area is a bazaar bustling withvendors. Renovations began in this part of town in 2009,after an earthquake killed nearly 70,000 people in SichuanProvince in May 2008. Xinjiang experiences frequent earthquakes,and the houses in Kashgar’s old city are dilapidatedand extremely vulnerable to quakes and fire.

　　Renovations to 28 blocks in and around theold cityrefurbished homes for 65,000 households with 220,000residents.

　　“If there were an earthquake in Kashgar like the one inSichuan, the consequences would be unimaginable,” saidVice Mayor Yue Zhigang. “The streets are very narrow - wecouldn’t conduct an evacuation or rescue. The basic infrastructurein the old city is outdated and the living and workingconditions for the people are also comparatively poor.”

　　“Our new house is pretty much the same as theold onewe lived before but much better equipped,” said RehmanAili. “We have the electricity and gas. Plus, there is a separateroom on the first floor which can be renovated into a shop. Itis very convenient for doing business.”

　　Aizeik Armu has been living in the old city for 60years.His granddaughter attends college in Wuhan, central China’sHubei Province, and is always amazed by how much the oldcity changes between vacations. “She said Kashgar is turninginto not only a beautiful city but a comfortable one to live in,and she plans to come back after graduation,” said Armu.

　　Modern elements have also settled in the old city. Super8 Hotel, the world’s largest budget hotel chain, has a hotel inKantuman Bazaar.

　　The bazaar is named for a broad-headed Uygur pick-axe,and has iron and brass workshops for craftsmen employingskills handed down for hundreds of years. Artisans work ironand brass objects before their customers’ very eyes.

　　The facade of the three-story Super 8 Hotelin KantumanBazaar is no different from any other building. Chen Liping,the owner, came to Kashgar on a self-guided tour in 2011.Amazed by the unique and mysterious atmosphere of thecity, she decided to stay.

　　“Many of the tourists staying in this hotel are DIY touristsand some stay for more than 10 days, exploring the city bitby bit,” she said.

　　By Yuan Yuan