Kashgar · Visitor Guide

Apak Khoja Tomb (Fragrant Concubine Tomb) (香妃墓, Xiāngfēi Mù)

The Apak Khoja Tomb (香妃墓, Xiāngfēi Mù, formally 阿帕克霍加墓) is the holiest Islamic shrine in Xinjiang: a mausoleum complex started around 1640 that holds five generations of the Khoja family, a Sufi religious and political dynasty that controlled the Kashgar region in the 17th–18th centuries. It matters for two reasons — the glazed-tile dome is the finest surviving example of Uyghur Islamic architecture in China, and the site sits at the center of the Fragrant Concubine legend, a story that blurs history and romance.

Last updated: June 17, 2026

Apak Khoja Tomb (Fragrant Concubine Tomb) travel photo

Quick Answer

Is Apak Khoja Tomb (Fragrant Concubine Tomb) worth visiting?

A 17th-century Sufi mausoleum 5 km northeast of Kashgar, clad in blue-green glazed tile and wrapped in the legend of the Fragrant Concubine (香妃) — though her real grave is 3,000 km east in Hebei. Budget ¥30 and about an hour.

Quick facts

Ticket	¥30 (as of 2026), paid at the gate. Cash, Alipay, and WeChat Pay all accepted. No advance booking needed.
Hours	Daily 9:30–18:00 (last entry around 17:30; winter hours may be shorter — confirm locally).
Recommended duration	45–75 minutes. One hour is the sweet spot — the mausoleum hall takes 15–20 minutes, the cemetery another 20, the mosque and courtyards the rest.
Best time to visit	Late morning to mid-afternoon (11:00–15:00 Beijing Time) when direct sun lights up the green-blue glazed tiles. May, June, September, and October for comfortable weather (20–32°C) and clear skies. Avoid overcast days — the dome goes flat and grey. Summer midday (13:00–15:00 Xinjiang Time) is hot and shadeless; carry water if you go then.
How to get there	No metro in Kashgar. Taxi or DiDi from Id Kah Mosque / the Old City: ~¥15–20, 15–20 min. A public bus (reportedly route 20) runs toward Haohan village but stops and signage are Chinese-only and impractical for non-readers. Most visitors take a taxi and pair the trip with a walk back through the eastern Old City.
English signage	partial
Wheelchair accessible	partial
Ticket	¥30 (as of 2026), paid at the gate
Built	Construction began c. 1640; expanded through the late 17th century
Area	Roughly 20,000 m² (5 acres), including cemetery and mosque
Tombs inside	Five generations of the Khoja family — about 72 members (58 visible tomb chests)
UNESCO status	Not inscribed; a protected national-level cultural relic of China
Distance from center	~5 km northeast of Id Kah Mosque, in Haohan village

What to expect

You pass through a gate into a walled compound and the mausoleum hits you immediately: a square hall crowned by a large green-and-blue glazed-tile dome, with four slender corner minaret-towers. Inside, ranks of painted wooden cenotaphs fill the dim hall, the largest belonging to Apak Khoja (d. 1693/94), the Sufi teacher whose family ran Kashgar for decades. Behind the hall spreads a vast open cemetery of earthen grave mounds stretching toward the desert edge — thousands of them, some freshly tended, some wind-eroded to almost nothing. A small attached mosque and a few courtyards round out the complex. Plan on roughly an hour.

Muhammad Yusuf, a Naqshbandi Sufi from Central Asia, settled in Kashgar in the early 1600s; his son Apak Khoja turned the family's religious authority into political control over the Altishahr region. The mausoleum was started around 1640 for Yusuf and became the family crypt after Apak Khoja's death. For Uyghur Muslims it remains the region's most sacred site — a mazar (shrine) still visited for pilgrimage. The tilework is the high point of surviving Islamic architecture in Xinjiang, and the cemetery is one of the largest traditional Islamic graveyards in China.

The complication is the Fragrant Concubine. Signs and guides will tell you this is the tomb of Xiangfei (Iparhan), the Uyghur woman taken into the Qianlong Emperor's harem around 1760. It is not. Historians agree her actual grave is at the Eastern Qing Tombs (清东陵) in Hebei, roughly 3,000 km east, opened and verified. What sits in Kashgar is a cenotaph honoring a legend that grew in the 19th century. That does not make the site less worth seeing — the architecture and cemetery are genuine and impressive — but treat the 'fragrant concubine' story as folklore, not history. The site is also quieter and less tourist-managed than the Old City; you will likely share it with a few Uyghur families paying respects rather than tour buses.

How to get there

From Id Kah Mosque or the Old City, a taxi or DiDi is the sensible option — flagfall is ¥5 and the roughly 5-km run costs ¥15–20, about 15–20 minutes. Show the driver 香妃墓 (Xiāngfēi Mù) or 'Apak Khoja' on your phone map; nearly all drivers recognize it. There is no metro in Kashgar and none planned. A public bus (reportedly route 20) runs toward Haohan (浩罕) village, but stops and route maps are Chinese-only and impractical if you do not read characters — skip it unless you are on a tight budget. For the return trip, taxis pass the entrance gate intermittently; if none appear, walk 5 minutes out to the main road (多来特巴格路 / Duolaitibage Road) to hail one. Many visitors combine the tomb with the Old City in a single half-day: one taxi out (~¥18), then a 40-minute walk back west through the eastern old-city lanes.

Best photo spots

The southeast corner of the outer wall, where the green-tiled dome and a corner minaret frame against the sky — best 11:00–14:00 when sun hits the tiles directly.
Inside the mausoleum hall, the row of painted wooden cenotaphs receding into dim light — shoot without flash, brace the camera on a tomb rail.
The rear cemetery at golden hour (17:00–18:00 in summer Beijing Time), where earthen grave mounds stretch toward the desert and the dome rises behind them.
The gate and forecourt with the full facade dead-on — the classic postcard shot, less interesting than the angles but the one most people want.

Tips

Carry your passport — security and ID checks are routine at Xinjiang tourist sites and the gate may ask for it.
Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove shoes if you step into the mosque hall; this is an active shrine, not a museum.
Ask before photographing Uyghur families praying or tending graves — a smile and gesture usually works, and respect a no immediately.
Go in late morning when the tiles catch direct sun; on overcast days the dome looks flat and grey and the visit loses half its impact.
Pair it with the Old City: take one taxi out (~¥18), then walk back west through the eastern old-city lanes — about 45 minutes and a better use of the afternoon than a round-trip cab.

Scams to avoid

Self-styled 'guides' near the entrance offering tours in broken English for ¥100–200 are not licensed and usually just recite the Fragrant Concubine legend — decline and read a guidebook instead.
Taxi drivers sometimes quote ¥40–50 for the 5-km run to foreigners who do not know the going rate (¥15–20); insist on the meter or agree the price before getting in.
Souvenir and dried-fruit stalls in the parking area charge 2–3× city-center prices — buy nothing here; the Grand Bazaar in town sells the same goods for less.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Apak Khoja Tomb ticket?

¥30 as of 2026, paid at the gate (cash, Alipay, or WeChat). No advance booking is needed. Children and seniors often get reduced or free entry on ID — ask at the ticket window.

How long should I spend at the Apak Khoja Tomb?

About one hour. The mausoleum hall takes 15–20 minutes, the cemetery another 20, the mosque and courtyards the rest. Travelers who love Islamic architecture stay 90 minutes; anyone pressed for time can do it in 45.

Is the Fragrant Concubine really buried here?

No. The Kashgar 'tomb' is a cenotaph tied to legend. Historians agree Xiangfei (Iparhan, d. 1788) is buried at the Eastern Qing Tombs (清东陵) in Hebei, where her grave was opened and verified. The Kashgar site honors the story, not the body.

Who was Apak Khoja?

A 17th-century Naqshbandi Sufi leader (d. 1693/94) whose family held religious and political power over the Kashgar region. The mausoleum, started around 1640 for his father Muhammad Yusuf, became the family crypt and Xinjiang's most important Islamic shrine.

How do I get to the tomb from Kashgar city center?

Take a taxi or DiDi — about ¥15–20 and 15–20 minutes from Id Kah Mosque. There is no metro in Kashgar and none planned. A public bus (reportedly route 20) serves the Haohan area but is impractical without reading Chinese.

What are the opening hours?

Roughly 9:30–18:00 daily, last entry around 17:30. Hours often shorten in winter (November–March); confirm at your hotel the day before, since Xinjiang also runs unofficially on UTC+6.

Can I take photos inside?

Yes, inside the mausoleum hall and cemetery, without flash. Be respectful of Uyghur families paying respects and ask before photographing people. Drone use is not permitted — Xinjiang drone rules are strict and enforced.

Is the tomb wheelchair accessible?

Partially. The outer courtyards and cemetery are flat and manageable. The mausoleum hall has a step up at the entrance and uneven stone floors inside; the mosque hall has more steps. A wheelchair user can see most of the exterior and cemetery but not the interior tombs.

What is the best time of day to visit?

Late morning to mid-afternoon (11:00–15:00 Beijing Time) when direct sun lights up the green-blue glazed tiles. Avoid overcast days — the dome goes flat and grey. Summer midday is hot and shadeless; carry water and go slightly earlier.

Is the Apak Khoja Tomb a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

No. It is not individually inscribed by UNESCO. It is, however, one of the most significant Islamic heritage sites in China and a protected national-level cultural relic.

Other things to do in Kashgar

Karakul Lake

Alpine lake at 3,600m on the Karakoram Highway — Muztagh Ata (7,546m) reflected in turquoise water. Free entry. Kyrgyz yurt stays. 3h from Kashgar.

Id Kah Mosque

China's largest mosque — ~16,800 m², holds up to 20,000 worshippers, founded 1442. ¥45. Allow 30-45 minutes; avoid Friday noon prayer when it closes to tourists.

Kashgar Old City

A maze of mud-brick alleys and Uyghur courtyard houses on the western edge of Kashgar (1,289 m), rebuilt under a 2009-2015 quake-safety program but still lived in. Free to enter; allow 2-3 hours to wander — and go early, because by 10:00 Xinjiang Time the tour buses arrive.