Old Town attracts new entrepreneurial spirit
In 2010, the central government started a 7 billion yuan ($1 billion), four-year renovation project to render the buildings earthquake-proof while maintaining their traditional Uygur charm. Nearly 50,000 families had their dilapidated old houses renovated under the project. Modern infrastructure and amenities have made people's lives easier and cozier. What's more, many young Uygurs, such as Mardan, have recognized the potential of the Old Town and discovered a passion for it.
A man plays the dutar and sings outside a building in the Old Town. [Photo/Xinhua]
Blend of cultures
Mewlan Turaq, 27, owns a clothing boutique in the Old Town. He designs and displays over a dozen pieces of Uygur clothing in the shop, illustrating the changes in the traditional clothing during the past century.
The clothing is very popular with tourists, along with other products such as vintage accessories, bags and even mobile phone cases decorated with Uygur patterns.
Many travelers enjoy renting the clothes and paying photographers to take pictures of them in the Old Town.
Inspired by the popular 100 Years of Beauty video, which highlights changes in fashion trends in a country or region over time, Mewlan and his team released their own video in 2017 to look back on trends in Uygur women's fashion during the past century.
In the two-minute video, Mewlan illustrates the evolution of Uygur fashion in Kashgar from the 1910s to the 2010s.
Tourists watch a dance performance in the Old Town in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo/Xinhua]
"We can see that time has left different marks on our clothes, and different cultures have blended. The cultures of East and West have met and melded in Kashgar, an important trading post on the ancient Silk Road, and that shows in the evolution of local fashion," Mewlan said.
He said his inspiration comes from the Old Town itself. When he wanders down the winding alleyways the shape of a window, the patterns on a carpet or the intricate carving on a wooden ornament can be his muse.
Tourists chat with local residents at a centuries-old teahouse in the Old Town. [Photo/Xinhua]
"The more I get to know about the history of the city and the beautiful stories about it, the more I come to love it," he said.
Mardan, Mewlan and other young Uygur entrepreneurs in the Old Town often get together and discuss how they can bring out the modern side of Uygur tradition and help people learn more about it.
"The Old Town is a platform for us to share our values and ideas. It inspires us in the exact same way it has inspired the traditional craftsmen of pottery, bronzeware and musical instruments for generations," Mardan said.
"The Old Town is small, but it's also big enough to carry our ambitions."
