The old town of Kashgar

• The old town of Kashgar, in the far western Xinjiang province, China, on June 27, 2017.
•  Kashgar has long been considered the cultural heart of Xinjiang for the province's
•  nearly 10 million Muslim Uighurs. At an historic crossroads linking China to Asia, 
• the Middle East, and Europe, the city has changed under Chinese rule with government
•  development, unofficial Han Chinese settlement to the western province, and restrictions
•  imposed by the Communist Party. Beijing says it regards Kashgar's development as an 
• improvement to the local economy, but many Uighurs consider it a threat that is eroding
•  their language, traditions, and cultural identity. The friction has fueled a separatist
•  movement that has sometimes turned violent, triggering a crackdown on what China's
•  government considers 'terrorist acts' by religious extremists