2025 Kashgar Old Town in Xinjiang – Silk Road Heritage and Top Sī - Wilko Wanders - China Travel Guide

Kashgar Old Town in Xinjiang – Silk Road Heritage and Top Sī

China's most exotic city - Kashgar old town Xinjiang

Destination:ChinaProvince:XinjiangCity:Kashgar

China's most exotic city - Kashgar old town Xinjiang

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Wilko Wanders2025-07-2712 min

The city that connects China to Central Asia and the West is Kashgar, a place with a majority Uyghur Muslim population. The Old Town spans more than 2,000 years and played a pivotal role during Silk Road trade. Afaq Khoja Tomb and Id Kah Mosque are key sites visited, and Wilko reflects on what it’s like to be in a place that has drawn strong Western media attention. He presents his learnings with a focus on slow travel, genuine local experiences, and cultural understanding.

--- Wilko Wanders

July 27, 2025, Summer in China

Video Chapters

Wilko Wanders explores Kashgar’s Old Town, visiting the Abka Hoja Tomb, the Id Kah Mosque, and a lively market scene. He notes the earthquake-era rebuilding, re

Travel Guides & Tips in this video

In this Silk Road chapter, Wilko Wanders threads his way through Kashgar’s ancient Old Town, a living museum of mud-brick architecture and centuries of Central Asian culture. He starts at the Abka Hoja Tomb just outside the historic core, marveling at its architectural echoes and the surrounding markets where food stalls and Naan and fried snacks line the lanes. As he steps inside, Wilko draws a clear connection between the tomb’s historical significance and the surrounding religious life, comparing the spiritual atmosphere to the Taj Mahal’s pond-and-tomb layout while sharing legends about the concubine Jangfay and the palace’s cultural memories. The guide then moves through the fortified gates into the restored old streets, noting how post-earthquake rebuilding in 2008 preserved the mud-era aesthetics while using brick to improve safety. The journey continues to the central mosque, the hub of daily life for the local Uygur Muslim community, where he observes the flow of Friday prayer

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Kashgar Old Town in Xinjiang – Silk Road Heritage and Top Sī

The city that connects China to Central Asia and the West: Kashgar. It has a majority Muslim Uyghur population and is like no other city I have visited in China so far! We explore the Old Town which is over 2,000 years old and was pivotal during the trading times of the silk road. We also visit Afaq...

Exploring Kashgar Old Town and Its Silk Road Heritage: Abka Hoja Tomb,

Wilko Wanders invites you into Kashgar, a city often described as the gateway between China and Central Asia and the West. He highlights its unique character, shaped by a majority Muslim Uyghur population, and notes that Kashgar feels unlike other Chinese cities he has visited. The video focuses on the Old Town, a place with a history spanning more than two thousand years and a pivotal role in Silk Road trade. Highlights include visits to the Afaq Khoja Tomb and the Id Kah Mosque, with Wilko sharing what he learns about the town and what it is like to be in a place that has attracted significant Western media attention. The tone is reflective and curious, aiming to connect with local people and understand the culture on a deeper level, as he often emphasizes through his slow travel approach and intention to have genuine experiences.

Attractions in this video: Abka Hoja Tomb, Id Kah Mosque, Kashgar Old Town