Xinjiang (新疆) · 7 places · 5 cities
7 places in Xinjiang, grouped by city. Under each one are two figures from the survey: how much daily life still goes on there, out of 100, and how far it has been turned over to visitors, out of 6.
Most common here: Old quarter of a city (4), Walled city (3). See all provinces, or the background on old towns.
2 places
Ili (伊犁)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Yining Kazanqi Old Town (伊宁喀赞其民俗旅游区)A densely built Uyghur old town, 20,000 Uyghur residents living in sky-blue courtyard houses along cobblestone alleys. This is not a museum: locals bake naan in tandoors, children play in the lanes, and horse-drawn carriages (haoche) deliver groceries. The mix of Uyghur, Russian, and Han architecture is unusual even by Xinjiang standards.Lived-in 82/100 · Commercialised 3/6 · little known abroad · easy to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
| Tekes Bagua City (特克斯八卦城)The world’s only complete Bagua (Eight Trigrams) city, a 1937 planned city laid out in the shape of a Taoist Bagua diagram, with 64 streets radiating from a central plaza, no traffic lights, and Kazakh nomads trading horses at the central market.Lived-in 72/100 · Commercialised 2/6 · little known abroad · some effort to reach | Walled city | Lived-in, quiet |
2 places
Kashgar (喀什)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Kashgar Old City (喀什噶尔老城·高台民居·吾斯塘博依)The best-preserved traditional Islamic city in Central Asia, a 2,100-year-old Silk Road oasis with 12,000 Uyghur residents still living in mud-brick courtyard homes. The old town’s 40+ alleys hold coppersmiths, hat makers, carpet weavers, and naan bakeries operating exactly as they did centuries ago. This is the real Xinjiang: not a performance, but daily life.Lived-in 88/100 · Commercialised 4/6 · known abroad · some effort to reach | Walled city | Lived-in, busy |
| Yarkand Old Town (莎车老城)The ancient capital of the Yarkent Khanate, a 1,500-year-old Silk Road city with a 17th-century royal mausoleum, the birthplace of the 12 Muqam (UNESCO intangible heritage), and 80,000 Uyghur residents living in traditional courtyard homes.Lived-in 78/100 · Commercialised 2/6 · rarely visited from abroad · some effort to reach | Walled city | Lived-in, quiet |
1 place
Aksu (阿克苏)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Kuqa Old Town Restan Street (库车老城·热斯坦历史文化街区)The ancient capital of the Kucha Kingdom, a 2,000-year-old Silk Road oasis where 80% of old town residents are still indigenous Uyghur. Restan Street’s alleys are themed: flower-hat lane, door bazaar lane, drum lane, each holding craftsmen practicing 1,000-year-old trades. This is the cultural heart of southern Xinjiang, with almost no foreign tourist infrastructure.Lived-in 82/100 · Commercialised 3/6 · rarely visited from abroad · some effort to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
1 place
Hotan (和田)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Hotan Old Town Tuancheng (和田老城·团城)The jade capital of the Silk Road, a 2,000-year-old oasis where Uyghur artisans still carve jade, weave silk, and hammer copper in alley workshops. Tuancheng (Round City) is a newly restored but still-inhabited old quarter with 3,000 Uyghur families living in traditional courtyard homes.Lived-in 80/100 · Commercialised 3/6 · rarely visited from abroad · some effort to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
1 place
Turpan (吐鲁番)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Turpan Old Town & Emin Minaret (吐鲁番老城·苏公塔)The lowest city in China (-154m), a 2,000-year-old Silk Road oasis with the tallest minaret in Xinjiang (Emin Minaret, 44m, 1777), ancient Uyghur neighborhoods, and the karez, recorded as the world’s largest underground irrigation system.Lived-in 76/100 · Commercialised 3/6 · known abroad · easy to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
Which of These Is Still a Town
The two scores narrow the list, and the last step is local: which lanes are worth the walk, which day of the week the place is itself, and where to stay inside the walls. Tell our local team the provinces you will be in and they will say which of these hold up.