Kashgar located between 7320' - 7057' east longitude and 3520' - 4018' north latitude, bordering the Taklamakan desert in the east, the Kunlun Range and Ali prefecture of in the south .

Xinjiang Province, 1,470km (911 miles) SW of Urümqi, 520km (322 miles) NW of Khotan

The northern and southern Silk Routes joined at ancient Kashgar and bifurcated again, leading south through the Pamirs to Gilgit, and west through the Ferghana Valley to Samarkand. At the height of the Hàn and Táng dynasties, Kashgar was in Chinese hands. The Chinese were routed by the Arabs in 751 in the Battle of Talas River (northeast of Tashkent). This allowed Islam to spread east into the Tarim Basin, displacing Buddhism and Manichaeism. Kashgar subsequently became a center of Islamic scholarship and, but for a brief return during the Mongol Yuán dynasty, it lay outside the sphere of Chinese influence. During the Qing dynasty the Chinese reasserted control, and Kashgar became a key site for players of the Great Game -- it boasted both a Russian and a British consulate.

Trade is the lifeblood of Kashgar, and with the opening of border crossings at Khunjerab, Torugart, and the Krkeshtam route to Osh, it is now once again an international trading center. Kashgar's strategic position has unfortunately made it a priority in efforts to "Sinicize" border areas, and with the opening of the railway line in 2000, Hàn settlers are arriving by the trainload, a glimpse of what's in store for Lhasa.

The old town maintains its charm. The markets are a riot of color and exotic scents, donkeys pull rickety carts laden with watermelons and cotton bales in and out of town, gray-bearded mullahs call the faithful to prayer on every street corner, and serene old men enjoy long chats over tea.