Kashgar, Southern Xinjiang | Following 'The Kite Runner' into the Gaotai Residences

I have finally arrived at the Gaotai Residences on the other side of the Anywhere Door Kashgar—a dream of the Western Regions Stepping into Kashgar, it's as if I see the footsteps of Xuanzang, hear the bugle of Ban Chao, and the bustle of the Eastern Cairo market In the long river of history, there are legends, there are stories Let's walk into the filming location of 'The Kite Runner'—the Gaotai Residences in Kashgar About 85% of the scenes in the movie 'The Kite Runner' were shot in the Gaotai Residences, but the Gaotai Residences are not a traditional tourist spot, but rather a place where the local Uyghur people have lived for generations. ❤️Why did 'The Kite Runner' choose this small Chinese city for filming? Because 'The Kite Runner' encountered difficulties in selecting filming locations, at that time Afghanistan was in the midst of war, and it was not possible to shoot in Kabul as planned, so the production team chose the Gaotai Residences, which are very similar to the cityscape of Kabul, as the location for outdoor shooting. ✅Highlights of the Gaotai Residences 1️⃣Preserved complete earthen architecture ruins area If you want to see old Kashgar buildings, locals will recommend the Gaotai Residences. This is the only remaining earthen architecture complex in Kashgar, which has been restored over several years and reopened to the public in 2023. Although the scenic area is not large, it is filled with the rich folk culture of Kashgar, more simple and primitive than the ancient city of Kashgar Many residents' courtyards in the Gaotai Residences have been passed down through six or seven generations to the present, retaining many old houses from hundreds of years ago. For hundreds of years, as generations have lived here, the houses have been built up layer by layer, getting higher and higher. With each new generation born, the old house is raised by one level. Some residents, due to the small living space, make full use of the walls of two houses to build one or two earthen rooms that span across the alley, forming the uniquely scenic over-street buildings or half-street buildings, which do not affect the pedestrians walking below, nor the residents living above. 2️⃣Intangible cultural heritage workshops There are many inheritors of intangible cultural heritage here, who support their families with their craftsmanship, such as pottery, weaving workshops, blacksmithing, printed and dyed cloth, etc. The old grandfathers sit at their workstations, where they have been for decades, even their grandfathers' grandfathers were doing the same thing in the same place, the heritage is vividly embodied here. 🎫Ticket: No tickets required, no reservation needed 📍Location: Opposite the eastern district of Kashgar Old City