To Protect an Ancient City, China Moves to Raze It – NYTimes.com

Saying it fears earthquake damage, the government plans to demolish and rebuild 85 percent of Kashgar’s Old City.

Discussion continues on SJ Rozan’s Facebook as to whether this urban renewal in Kashgar has anything to do with earthquakes or perhaps something to do with the Chinese central government’s take on the local Uighur Muslim population.

No, it couldn’t be anything like that. Why look at this signage at Kashgar’s Idkha Mosque, the largest mosque in China:

All of it shows fully that Chinese government always pays special attentions to the another and historical cultures of the ethnic groups, and that all ethnic groups warmly welcome Part’s (sic) religious policy. It also shows that different ethnic groups have set up a close relationship of equality, unity and helps to each other, and freedom of beliefs is protected. All ethnic groups live friendly together here. They cooperate to build a beautiful homeland, support heartily the unity of different ethnic groups and the unity of our country, and oppose the ethnic separatism and illegal religious activities.

Cheyney (Laughing Planet) weighs in … Well worth the read.

A few of my photos of Kashgar Old City (October 2006 trip through Xinjiang province and over the Karakoram highway into the Hunza Valley in Pakistan)

This is the stairway up to the second floor living quarters in this building.

A wood carver’s stash.

Rug shop.

Hardware store.

Did the Chinese government ask if these folks wanted their homes razed? “For their own good” Why does that remind me of Tibet?