Constructors work to renovate a house in the old city zone of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 31, 2012. Xinjiang's Kashgar has launched the renovation project of Kashgar old city zone for 2012. In April 2009, the renovation project of the old city zone in Kashgar was carried out according to the national conservation standards for historical and cultural cities. It planned to complete the comprehensive restoration of dilapidated homes within 28 blocks inside old Kashgar city, which encompasses 65,000 households and 220,000 residents. With a history of more than 2,000 years, Kashgar was historically the gateway and hub for the transfer of goods from China to central Asia and Europe on the ancient Silk Road with its culture featuring distinctive ethnic Uygur characteristics. But the city is located in an area frequently hit by earthquakes, and houses in the old city of Kashgar are mostly old and dilapidated, extremely vulnerable to earthquakes and fire. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)