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Women chat in old Kashgar (HUANG ZHEN) | There are still some time-honored shops hidden in the narrow lanes. Atop the residential area is a famous earthenware shop that has been owned by the Zunon family for six generations.
Tursun Zunon, 48, started to learn pottery when he was only 10 years old. In those days, it was practically the only type of daily-use container around and more than 30 households in the old city made a living making it by hand. A craftsman could provide for a family of 12 children.
"It was not easy in those days as all the materials had to be collected from different places and carried here by horses or camels, which normally took quite a few days," said Zunon. "But now with the fast delivery service, it is no problem at all."
The family suffered in the mid-1980s when plastic and iron replaced earthenware. Only four households, including Zunon's, still produced pottery until a tourism surge in the 1990s transformed earthenware from a daily necessity into a souvenir.
Zunon earns about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($326 to $489) a month, enough for basic living. Although they have electricity, Zunon still pedals his pottery wheel the old-fashioned way to keep his work authentic. He has three daughters and a son who he hopes will take over after him.
Old town, new life
To the west of the residential area is a bazaar bustling with vendors. Renovations began in this part of town in 2009, after an earthquake killed nearly 70,000 people in Sichuan Province in May 2008. Xinjiang experiences frequent earthquakes, and the houses in Kashgar's old city are dilapidated and extremely vulnerable to quakes and fire.
Renovations to 28 blocks in and around the old city refurbished homes for 65,000 households with 220,000 residents.
"If there were an earthquake in Kashgar like the one in Sichuan, the consequences would be unimaginable," said Vice Mayor Yue Zhigang. "The streets are very narrow - we couldn't conduct an evacuation or rescue. The basic infrastructure in the old city is outdated and the living and working conditions for the people are also comparatively poor."
"Our new house is pretty much the same as the old one we lived before but much better equipped," said Rehman Aili. "We have the electricity and gas. Plus, there is a separate room on the first floor which can be renovated into a shop. It is very convenient for doing business."
Aizeik Armu has been living in the old city for 60 years. His granddaughter attends college in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, and is always amazed by how much the old city changes between vacations. "She said Kashgar is turning into not only a beautiful city but a comfortable one to live in, and she plans to come back after graduation," said Armu.
Modern elements have also settled in the old city. Super 8 Hotel, the world's largest budget hotel chain, has a hotel in Kantuman Bazaar.
The bazaar is named for a broad-headed Uygur pick-axe, and has iron and brass workshops for craftsmen employing skills handed down for hundreds of years. Artisans work iron and brass objects before their customers' very eyes.
The facade of the three-story Super 8 Hotel in Kantuman Bazaar is no different from any other building. Chen Liping, the owner, came to Kashgar on a self-guided tour in 2011. Amazed by the unique and mysterious atmosphere of the city, she decided to stay.
"Many of the tourists staying in this hotel are DIY tourists and some stay for more than 10 days, exploring the city bit by bit," she said. CA | 
