Yarkant Old Town 莎车老城

About Yarkant Old Town

The county government's tourism page, credited to the county culture, sport, radio-television and tourism bureau, records that the scenic area was named an autonomous-region-level historical and cultural city in 2016 and rated a national 4A tourist attraction in 2022. It lists the scenic area's components as including the Amannisahan memorial mausoleum, the Kazanqi historical and cultural street, the Manzhoulaoba historical and cultural street, the Jamat historical and cultural street, the old city wall ruins culture park and sites of traditional culture, craft and dwellings, among others.

The Shache county government gives the old town's planned area as 3.16 square kilometres, of which the scenic area is 1.16 square kilometres, and records 10 heritage protection units inside it — 2 national, 3 autonomous-region and 5 county level — and 40 intangible cultural heritage items, of which 1 is national, 2 autonomous-region level, 2 prefecture level and 35 county level. It records local dishes including gangzi rou, roast pigeon, coloured baked dumplings, hand-held meat, pea-and-meat pilaf, aubergine noodles and tea as available throughout.

The Shache county government records that the scenic area has been upgraded under the principle of one trade, one landscape and one character per street, aiming at what it calls a living ancient city, with 173 lanes and 227 fine dwellings improved, gathering 28 kinds of business including ethnic craft, food and drink, folk experience, shopping and hotels, and 21,000 business operators.

The page lists the Amannisahan memorial mausoleum among the scenic area's components; it does not say that the Yarkant Khanate royal tombs stand inside the scenic area, and this record does not make that claim. The page gives no opening arrangements, no boundary notice, and no statement of how the scenic area is administered.

What to look for

• The Kazanqi historical and cultural street, which the county page lists among the scenic area's components
• The old city wall ruins culture park, which the county page lists among the scenic area's components
• The Amannisahan memorial mausoleum, which the county page lists among the scenic area's components
• The Manzhoulaoba and Jamat historical and cultural streets, which the county page lists among the scenic area's components
• The 173 lanes and 227 fine dwellings the county page records as improved under its one-street-one-character programme

Location & getting there

Getting to Yarkant Old Town

Identify the main visitor approach and any separately managed houses, museums or performances. Ask before entering residential spaces or photographing residents.

• Search for 莎车老城 with 喀什地区 and 莎车县.