PEARL OF THE SILK ROAD.docVIP

PEARL OF THE SILK ROAD 　　Many visitors to Kashgar， the westernmost city in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region， may well be lured by a widespread saying that “you’ll not know the true face of Xinjiang if you don’t go to Kashgar.” 　　With Uygur people accounting for around 90 percent of its population， the oasis city west of the Taklamakan Desert is called a living museum of Uygur culture owing to its preservation of ethnic lifestyles amid modern trappings. 　　The scene that initially meets one in Kashgar certainly holds the imagination hostage―women， sporting colorful headscarves and Uygur-style long skirts in bright colors， ride motorbikes along city streets and even roads in suburban areas. It gives one a strong sense of the merging of tradition and modern life. 　　The whole city of Kashgar is divided roughly into two parts， the old town and a new developmental zone. Now the latter has been accorded the status of special economic development zone， the only one of its kind in west China and established with the intent of upgrading the local economy through modernization of industry. The ancient part of the city， meanwhile， is subject to protections designed to keep the living environment of Uygur people in the region intact. 　　 Maintaining tradition 　　With a history of more than 2，000 years， the old town of Kashgar is acknowledged as being the homeland of the Uygur people in China. In history， Kashgar was the largest city in south Xinjiang. It was a transportation hub on the ancient Silk Road， a network of trade routes linking the East and the West， and a center of trading for Eurasian countries owing to its geographic advantages. Today， it stands as a monument to the authentic culture and life of Chinese Muslims. 　　The old town is one of the largest remaining earthen construction sites in the world. Covering 8 square km， it is home to a population of over 220，000. 　　Since 2009， the local government has carried out a project to renovate old