People's Park sits a short walk south of the Id Kah Mosque and offers a genuine slice of local Kashgar life. In the mornings, older residents do tai chi on the paths or sit playing chess. In the evenings, groups gather for impromptu music sessions — the Uyghur dutar and rawap are the instruments you are likely to hear. The park is relaxed, unhurried, and a good place to sit quietly after a morning of sightseeing.
The park also contains a small lake and, at its eastern edge, one of the more unusual monuments in Chinese public space: a large statue of Mao Zedong with hand raised in greeting, looking out over the Id Kah square. The contrast between the Han socialist iconography and the Central Asian city around it is very Kashgar. The statue has been a focal point for both official celebrations and, occasionally, protests.