Kashgar Travel Forum

Is Kashgar Really in China or is it really in over the border? And how safe is it there for westerners, most importantly, Americans?

Kasgar is in XinJiang, China. Many Westerners go there every year. It is very safe and definately worth the visit. From there you can travel up the Karakorm highway on the way to Pakistan or to Tajikistan. The views arew spectacular with mountains over 7000m. This really is the roof of the world.
Enjoy the trip.

Thank you for your kind responses. If I wnt, it would be part of a Silk Road trip, staying withi the boundries of China. The itinerary can look like this: Hong Kong,Beijing, Xian, Turpan, Urimgi, Kashgar, Shanghai.

Yes, it's in China. How much time do you have for the itinerary that you've put down? Are you willing to fly internally?

BTW, if you're doing the Silk Road route, you should also include Dunhuang and Jiayuguan on your itinerary. Both places are in Gansu province.

This is the basic itinerary from most 14-17 day tours I have seen. And its only a possibility at this point. But thanks for the information.

Hong Kong and Beijing are great but, of course, they are not on the Silk Road. But westerners must start by flying into a city that is not on the Silk Road. I have seen tours arranged to start from Beijing - Xi'An - Lanzhou - Dunhuang - Turpan - Urumqi - and either fly back to Beijing or continue to Kashgar.

By the way, the confusion may have come because Xinjiang, like Tibet and Taiwan, was not part of China off and on. It was a Turkish-related stronghold but since Mao's coming to power, it was reigned into China. Because of the huge petrolium reserves there, it will never be released. As a matter of fact, before the 13th century, China's western frontier was around Lanzhou, thus the end of the Great Wall in Gansu.

Hong Kong and Beijing are great but, of course, they are not on the Silk Road. But westerners must start by flying into a city that is not on the Silk Road. I have seen tours arranged to start from Beijing - Xi'An - Lanzhou - Dunhuang - Turpan - Urumqi - and either fly back to Beijing or continue to Kashgar.

The confusion about China's western border may have come because Xinjiang, like Tibet and Taiwan, was not part of China off and on through history. It was a Turkish-related stronghold that moved in and out of Chinese control but since Mao's coming to power, it seems firmly reigned into China because of the huge petrolium reserves there. As a matter of fact, before the 13th century, China's western frontier was around Lanzhou, thus the end of the Great Wall in Gansu.

Your tour guide did not arrange any visit to Pakistan or Tajikistan because both countries require a visa for U.S. citizen and most other citizen's entry.

Oops. Double-reply eror. Anyone know how to edit these mistakes?