Southern Xinjiang-Kashgar Ancient City

Before going to Xinjiang, I also read a lot of guides, but when I really set foot on this land, I realized that "far" is not just the distance on the map, but the feeling that after sitting in the car for a day, I looked up and saw that the mountains were still far away; after walking through a city, the scenery has not changed half. Southern Xinjiang and Northern Xinjiang are two completely different worlds. Southern Xinjiang is rough and heavy, like an unfinished oil painting. Places like Kashgar, Tashkurgan, and Kuche have an atmosphere close to the border of Central Asia. Walking deep in the ancient city, you will suddenly have the illusion of traveling through time. On the other side of the mountain is Muztagh Ata and the Pamir Plateau, where the world is so vast that it is speechless. And Northern Xinjiang is like God's overturned palette. The lake water of Kanas is blue, the village of Hemu is golden, the grassland of Yili is green, and the morning mist of Sayram Lake is white. The beauty of Northern Xinjiang is easier to be photographed and taken away, and it is also the kind of "amazing" that is easier to be understood by people. It is like a fairy tale, like a picture book, and more like a photographer's paradise. But for me, whether it is the desolation of southern Xinjiang or the softness of northern Xinjiang, they all have their own flavors and are worth visiting again and again. However, Xinjiang is too big and is destined to be impossible to complete in one go. Before the journey to Xinjiang officially begins, you must first complete a ritual with a strong "Xinjiang flavor": go to apply for a border defense permit. After all, although Kashgar is not on the border, you must have a permit to go to Tashkurgan and Khunjerab from here. The efficiency of applying for the permit is quite good and it can be done in less than an hour. After the formalities were completed, the whole person suddenly felt relaxed, as if he had obtained a customs clearance order to "pass through the Western Regions". Since I haven't joined the group today, I might as well use this day to get to know Kashgar, an ancient and fresh city. The place I want to go most is of course the ancient city of Kashgar. Once the navigation is turned on, it's not far to walk. Walking in along a small road paved with blue bricks, it seems to have spanned several centuries. The city gate is tall, as if guarding some secret. As soon as I walked into the ancient city, I was attracted by the aroma of cooking smoke. Baked buns, pilaf, pomegranate juice, and the hawking sounds came one after another. I decided to eat while walking and leave the whole day to the alley. The Internet celebrity "Alley No. 8" is indeed well-deserved. Those deep alleys meander to unknown corners, with blue, green, and brick-red carved windows hanging at the door, and the ground is a stone road smoothed by time. There are many people taking pictures. The girls who rented ethnic costumes for travel photography all look like Uyghur princesses who have traveled through time. I was tired and went into a teahouse to rest. The boss was a Uyghur uncle with a beard on his face. He was very particular about pouring tea and handed me his homemade yogurt, saying that "it won't sell if it's not sweet." It turned out to be a bit sour, but it was just right with a little honey. The locals at the next table played the dutar while drinking tea. I didn't understand the lyrics, but I felt at ease for some reason. The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon. I wandered around the ancient city without a destination. I would go to join in wherever I saw something lively. When I saw children playing with spinning tops, I would sit down and watch for a while. While wandering around the ancient city of Kashgar, I saw this noodle shop with a very long name "Grandpa's Grandpa's Father's Noodle", and I couldn't help but be attracted to it. The store is not big, but the fragrance is very strong. The rose filling is soft and sweet, and the salty ones are best when they are just out of the oven. It is just right to eat while walking. The pepper filling is a bit too strong. The first bite is okay, but the second bite is so spicy that I doubt my life. The boss said while patting the wall of the oven: "This name is the history of our family." The sky gradually darkened, and the lights in the ancient city also lit up one by one. When I came out after dinner, the wind was a little cold, and I remembered that this is a plateau border, and the temperature difference at night is very large. Walking all the way back to the hotel, the streets are still bustling, but my heart is particularly calm. I didn't accomplish anything big today, but it seemed like I had quietly exchanged a secret with Kashgar. I will be leaving with a group tomorrow. Today is a chance for me to slow down and feel the warmth of this trip to the Western Regions in advance. It is far away, but not desolate. There are many people, but not noisy. I did not come to the wrong place. #新疆 #卡什麼