When Mardan Ablimit opened a coffee shop in the Old Town of Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in 2018, many people warned him that his venture was unrealistic and bound to fail.

A woman dances on a street in the Old Town. [Photo/Xinhua]

Now, the 34-year-old is considering opening branches outside the region and exporting a taste of Kashgar nationwide after the coffee shop successfully integrated with the Old Town and became part of local people's lives.

Mardan said the 4-square-kilometer Old Town, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, is "the birthmark of Kashgar" in southern Xinjiang. The traditional Uygur architecture and culture are well-preserved around the neighborhood and by its 43,000-plus residents, 97 percent of whom are members of the Uygur ethnic group.

"The Old Town has been a window into Kashgar ever since the city was an important stop on the ancient Silk Road. It has never stopped embracing new things and ideas," said Mardan as he sat in Kashgar Corner, his coffee shop.

"By having a cup of Kashgar Corner Special, made with coffee and traditional Uygur herbs and presented in a mug handmade by Uygur pottery craftsmen in the Old Town, I hope visitors will see both the traditional and modern sides of Kashgar."

In the past, the area's people and fragile old buildings were threatened by the risk of fire and earthquakes.

Mardan Ablimit (right) and his wife, Dilnar Akbar, chat with a customer at Kashgar Corner, their coffee shop in the Old Town, on Sept 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

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.

The process of opening the coffee shop helped Mardan reconnect with the city where he was born and raised, he said.

After graduating from a university in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, he chose a career as a film producer there because he didn't believe Kashgar could offer a platform for him to realize his dreams.

"I did not believe that Kashgar, China's westernmost city, could ever be as open as other cities in the country," he said.

He returned to Kashgar in 2010 at the request of his parents, who wanted him to take care of them, and started making documentaries about Kashgar prefecture for the local TV station.

He also made documentaries about the Old Town and witnessed its transformation. "Many elderly residents have told me that the improvement in their lives has been beyond their imaginations," Mardan said.

The renovation project was criticized by some Western observers, who called it a move to "extinguish the Uygur culture".

Mardan, who refers to himself "a new member of the Old Town community", said: "The fact is that the traditional Uygur architecture has all been preserved. The project has just modernized local people's lives. People who have doubts should come and see for themselves and ask the locals what they think."

He added that prior to the renovation project the house of a craftsman who makes the coffee mugs used at Kashgar Corner collapsed during a heavy rainstorm.

"Luckily, no one was hurt. He had to move out of the house during the renovation work. After he moved back to the reinforced house, he continued to make traditional Uygur pottery. Nothing has changed," Mardan said.