"It's worse than a sin. It's a mistake", as Talleyrand once famously said. To quote Wikipedia:

As of 2009, an effort was under way to redevelop the majority of the Old City of Kashgar and construct new buildings in its place.

The old town of Kashgar, deemed overcrowded and unsafe for its residents (nearly half of the city's population lives within the old town), will have at least 85% of its structures demolished. Demolitions have already begun, with many of its former denizens moved to newer, safer and modern buildings. The city administration plans to build high-rise apartments, plazas, and reproductions of Islamic architecture.

The Chinese government claims that redevelopment is necessary in the interests of earthquake safety; the city’s older buildings, many of which are built from mud and straw, are considered to be vulnerable to collapse in a seismic event. However, Kashgar is considered a "breeding ground" for Uighur separatists who Beijing claims have ties to Islamic terrorism. NGOs have criticised the plans, claiming that they will destroy cultural history and eliminate Kashgar’s main tourist attraction.

We were invited into a few private homes which are still inhabited, but which face immanent demolition. This gave me a glimpse of a way of life soon to pass...