Kashgar Old Town, Xinjiang China

Kashgar was once one of the busy nodes of the Silk Route between China and India. This ancient city has many layers of culture and religion buried beneath it. Marco Polo visited the city in the late 13th century at a time when the city was under the control of the Mongols. Today, Kashgar's population is predominately Uighur. The old town preserves much of the traditional architecture of the Uighurs. It is characterised by thin winding alleys, labyrinthine stairways and grand courtyards. This profile view of the old town was taken from the river park that demarcates the division between the old and new town.

Kashgar is reached by train or bus from Urumqi, the major air terminal servicing Xinjiang for the rest of China.