At the heart of the debate over the destruction and rebuilding of Kashgar’s Old City is one primary assumption: Uyghur buildings are more reliable than the concrete, Chinese counterparts. They have stood the test of centuries of time.

But what if Uyghur buildings aren’t as indestructible as we think?

It’s no secret that the local government in Xinjiang has been systematically getting rid of Kashgar’s Old City over the past few years. But what will it look like when they’re done demolishing it?

I received an email from a lady a while back whose kids were going to travel through Kashgar. She had been there as a student back in the late 1970′s and later worked there in the 1980′s. She shared with me these pictures she took in Kashgar that I thought were absolutely fascinating.

Another beautiful photo of life in Xinjiang. A Uyghur man gets a traditional shave on the streets of Kashgar.

To buy or not to buy…that is the question these two Uyghur boys ponder as they listen to a sales pitch at a Uyghur market in Xinjiang.

A beautiful B&W photo by British photographer Jonathan Browning featuring a horse being tested at the Sunday livestock market in Kashgar.

A favorite destination among tourists and a symbol for infuriated activists, the Old City that has survived multiple centuries is now being demolished. In May of 2009 an article was published on FarWestChina debating the pros and cons of the destruction of Kashgar’s Old City, and an update on the situation is long overdue.

Every Sunday merchants from all over the western tip of Xinjiang converge on a plot of land east of the city in what is called Kashgar’s Sunday Market.

Thanks to the Fragrant Concubine, who more than likely isn’t even buried in Kashgar, the Apak Hoja Mausoleum (aka “Abak Khoja”) has become one of the city’s top tourist sites.  In addition to the famous mausoleum it also offers a glimpse into old Uyghur wood carving as well as a cemetery plot that is still in use today.

Billiards near Kashgar’s Old City by Mipo
If I didn’t know any better, I would be tempted to say that billiards is as much a part of Uyghur culture as eating lamb kebabs.  Many of the pool halls are indoors, but as the weather begins to warm up there are also a few that take advantage of the cool outdoors.