Fan Fei Photography Kashi Ancient City

Mango Travel Diary: I traveled in Kashgar a few days ago and happened to encounter an epidemic. My friend asked me with concern, are you okay? I said nothing, and the cases were mainly concentrated in Shufu County. Perhaps in their impression, Kashgar is a city, just like Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou in the mainland. In fact, what many people don't know is that Kashgar is an area of162,000 square kilometers, which is larger than the whole area of Shandong Province (157,900 square kilometers), including 12 county-level administrative regions.

Kashgar is located in the northwest of China and southwest of Xinjiang, bordering Taklimakan Desert in the east, Tajikistan in the west and Afghanistan and Pakistan in the southwest. It is one of the rare areas in China that borders three countries at the same time. Speaking of Kashgar, the terrain is also unique. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, one side is open. Karakorum Mountain in the south, Pamir Plateau in the west, South Tianshan Mountain in the north and Taklimakan Desert in the east. The alluvial plains of the Yarkant and Kashi rivers are inlaid with emeralds.

In Xinjiang, there is a saying that "I have never been to Xinjiang until I get to Kashgar". Why? Because Kashgar is bordered by the three countries and was once the seat of the Western Regions in ancient times, it has retained the unique ethnic customs of Xinjiang so far, which can be described as the "most exotic" place in China. It has a long history, spectacular scenery and a lot of food, and it is a place you don't want to go.

Unlike the situation in which the Han nationality is in the majority in northern Xinjiang, southern Xinjiang is dominated by Uighurs, such as Kashgar. Although there are many ethnic groups living here, including Uygur, Han, Hui, Tajik, Uzbek, Kirgiz, Kazak and Russian. Most of them are Uighurs, accounting for more than 90% of the total population, so many mainland friends will have their own sighs when they come to Kashgar.

It is said that northern Xinjiang looks at scenery and southern Xinjiang looks at humanities, among which Kashgar is the main culture of southern Xinjiang, because Kashgar has been the political, economic and cultural center of southern Xinjiang for thousands of years. In the ever-changing tide of modernization, Kashgar still retains many traditional folk customs. For example, the ancient city of Kashgar, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, has a different story hidden in each alley. Every window, every lamp and every tile silently witnessed the historical changes of this ancient city.

I have been to many ancient cities in China, and the one that I want to explore most is Kashgar. It seems that every alley leads to an unknown place and there are unexpected surprises waiting for you. Maybe a few enthusiastic children will give you a big hug when they meet. Perhaps it is a bottomless alley with flowers and plants on both sides. The ancient city of Kashgar is the most charming city I have ever seen. Unlike ordinary shops in the ancient city, which are all on both sides of the street, as long as they turn into an alley, they are all houses. Why is Kashgar so attractive? Because there are fresh fireworks here.

Kashgar not only has a long history, but also has rich ethnic customs. The scenery here is particularly vast and spectacular. The most attractive is the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, along which there are Baisha Lake, Karakuri Lake, Mustagaatta and Shicheng, Tajiks who are "tourists on the iceberg", the beautiful Pamirs, and the world's highest port, Hongqilafu. It condenses the culture and scenery of Kashgar, so there is also "you can't be in Kashgar until you reach Ta County."

Although I have been to Kashgar twice and stayed for more than a week each time, I always feel that my stay is too short, so short that I haven't had time to appreciate its charm and deeply understand its customs. Therefore, if there is an opportunity, I will definitely go to Kashgar again, to this area larger than Shandong Province, and feel the phrase "I have never been to Xinjiang until I get to Kashgar".