Karghilik is district near the southwest Xinjiang town of Kashgar. It is best known for its access to the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway and makes a decent stop-off on a Hotan- Urumqi trip.
Karghilik lies along the southern part of the Silk Road in China’s remote autonomous region of Xinjiang. It is 270kms southeast of Kashgar and about the same distance again to Hotan. It’s good enough for a break for a day or two and comes with an old town and some interesting attractions.
The 15th century Friday Mosque (Jama Masjid) is worth a visit. It lies near the bazaar out front and is surrounded by traditional adobe-clad backstreets.
Karghilik also happens to be the launch point for trips along the legendary Xinjiang-Tibet Highway - Highway 219. While you may be able to score a ride along this road, foreigners are currently not supposed to travel along it (aside from those visiting with an organized trip). If you do risk it, Ali (Tibet) is a 1,100-kilometer, three to five-day trip along the highway.
Getting There & Away
Karghilik is best got to by bus from Kashgar, a 4-hour journey. There are several buses per day and it is a 25 to 30-hour journey straight through from Urumqi. Flights to Kashgar from Urumqi take about 1 hour, 30 minutes and there is even the odd flight from Hong Kong (5 hours).