Tashkent

Central Asia's largest city and Uzbekistan's gateway, with ornate Soviet metro stations, the Chorsu Bazaar and the Hazrati Imam's Quran—the starting point of a Silk Road journey.

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia (population about 3 million). It sits on an oasis in the Chirchiq River valley at the western foot of the Tian Shan, at about 450 m above sea level, and was known as Shi Guo in the Tang dynasty, an important town on the northern branch of the Silk Road. The 1966 earthquake destroyed most of the old town, and the Soviet Union then rebuilt it as a "model socialist city," so today's Tashkent is a city of broad tree-lined avenues, large squares, Soviet monuments and ornate metro stations; the old town survives only in the northwest, around the Chorsu Bazaar and Hazrati Imam. The sights fall into three areas: the old town in the northwest (Chorsu Bazaar, the Kukeldash Madrasa, the Hazrati Imam complex and the Uthman Quran); the new city in the center (Amir Timur Square, Independence Square, the Hotel Uzbekistan, the Navoi Theater and the cluster of metro stations); and the northeastern outskirts with the TV tower, the Japanese Garden, and the road toward Charvak Lake and the Chimgan Mountains (1.5–2 hours by car). Climate: April–May and September–October are most pleasant at 20–28°C; summers are dry and hot, often above 38°C; winters hover around 0°C with occasional snow. Getting there: Chinese passport holders can enter visa-free for 30 days; there are direct flights to Tashkent from Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Guangzhou and other cities (about 2.5 hours from Urumqi), and a taxi from the airport to the city center takes 20 minutes. The metro has 4 lines with a fare of 3,000 sum, and Yandex Go taxis are cheap. The Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent takes 2 hours 10 minutes to Samarkand and about 4 hours to Bukhara; book train tickets ahead on the Uzbekistan Railways website or 12go. Allow 1.5–2 days: one day for the old town and metro stations, half a day for the new city and squares, and, if time allows, one more day for Charvak Lake. Tips: photography in the metro has been permitted since 2018, but military police in the stations may still question you, so don't photograph facilities or soldiers; exchange money at banks or ATMs—street exchange is now legal but offers no better rate; go to the Besh Qozon plov center between 11:00 and 13:00, as it sells out and closes in the afternoon; carry water in summer; use ride-hailing apps rather than haggling with taxis.

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