GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KASHGAR

Kashgar (or Kashi) is situated in the southwest of Xinjiang. From the west, this is the first point of arrival on land routes from Pakistan and Kirgyzistan.  Long a vital stop on the Silk Road, this remote city some 4000 km from Beijing, used to take up to six months to reach from the capital! This all changed in the 1930s when Kashgar became a crucial meeting point for three empires- the Chinese, the British and the Soviet Union. A haven for spies and housing some fabulous consulate buildings, this city was used as a bastion by the Brits looking west towards India, and the Soviets, thought to be plotting to absorb Xinjiang. In 1935, the city was effectively run by the Soviets until WWII when it came back under Chinese control.Today, despite modernization and architectural decline, the city manages to meet most visitors expectations. The most striking thing about Kashgar is the Turkestan influence visible on the streets and in the homes here. This place feels, looks and even smells dramatically different from the rest of China, more so than any other city in Xinjiang. And this is no great surprise really, considering that 90% of the population are practicing Muslims and Uigur bazaars, tea houses and faces dominate the streets. What’s more, this is the only city in Central Asia where the women choose to veil their faces. The old streets, restaurants and markets here are great for exploring. The city is particularly busy between May and October, jam packed with merchants and traders hot-off the Karakoram Highway from Pakistan and Kirgyistan.

Xinjiang food has much more of a Central Asian flavor to it than a Chinese taste. Kashgar is one of the best cities in the region to sample authentic Xinjiang cuisine and there are literally thousands of tiny Uigur restaurants dotted about the place serving up local specialties.¡¡

The area around the Seman Hotel is a lively district to begin your culinary adventures. John’s Information Cafe (opposite the hotel) is a popular haunt with backpackers. This place not only serve up good pancakes and coffee, but are also a good source of information about travel and transport in the area. You can also rent tents here and use the internet. The streets around here and near Id Kah Square are full of Uigur restaurants serving local specialties including mutton kebabs, Nan bread stew, Uigur rice, roast fish and noodles.

One of the most gourmet dishes of Uigur cuisine is whole roast lamb, a rare treat only found at Uigur celebrations and special occasions.

SHOPPING – LOCAL SPECIALITY OF KASHGAR

TRANSPORTATION TO AND WITHIN KASHGAR

By plane:
There are daily flights between Kashgar and Urumqi. The flight takes one and a half hours and costs around RBM1300. Leaving Kashgar for Urumqi is no easy task. It is a good idea to book tickets as far in advance as possible. This can be done at the Xinjiang Airline Office on Jiefang Nan Lu, south of the People’s Hotel. Local travel agencies charge RMB50 to book each plane ticket. The airport is 11 km from the city center and there are regular bus services from the airport to the city for RMB6. A taxi should cost approximately RMB30.

By train:
A new railroad has just been constructed and put to use around Kashgar. All destinations are at least an overnight journey and timetables etc. have not yet been fully released.It takes two days on the train to reach Urumqi. A hard sleeper ticket costs RMB310 and a soft sleeper costs RMB430. Tickets can be bought from the ticket office outside the train station in Kashgar.

By bus:
The bus between Urumqi and  Kashgar goes via Aksu, Kuqa, Korla and Toksun. The trip takes about 36 hours and costs RMB200. Sleeper buses are more comfortable and cost RMB400. Some people hire jeeps and drivers and cover the distance this way. The best place to find out more information about this is in John’s Information Cafe opposite the Seman Hotel. Foreigners are often asked to pay 100 per cent more for bus tickets than the Chinese. This is technically illegal, but it is difficult to do anything about. There are also buses from Kashgar to Tashkurgan, which is the last town along the Karakoram Highway that heads to Pakistan.

It is illegal for foreigners to set off from Kashgar to Lhasa without getting travel permit to Tibet.

Kashgar has a temperate continental climate, with large periods of sunshine and little rainfall. With a short warm winter and a long cool summer, temperatures in the city are pleasant most of the year. The four seasons in Kashgar are very clear. The average temperature for the year is 11.8 degree C, the average temperature of the coolest month of January is -6 degree C, and in the hottest month, July, the average temperature is 27 degree C. The average rainfall here is only 121mm, but the evaporation capacity amounts to 2162mm, and on average there are 224 days without frost a year here. The best time to travel is between August and September, when the sky is blue and there is blossom and fruit on the trees.