>>2797855
I didn't see the old old city but yes I have heard it was pretty much demolished and rebuilt. Also it wasn't an admission fee it was a security bag check
I got to go to an area that hadn't been rebuilt (高台民居 outside the actual old city) and the difference was obvious, in the unchanged area all the streets were much more narrow and the courtyards were super dense. Lots of buildings built over the street and big overhangs, super dense
The old city is clearly modernised because it has wide streets for lots of tourists and tourist shops everywhere compared to the other area which just had a few shops run by people who used to live there and were relocated by the government to the new city area when it was decided they would "regenerate" that area and make it into a tourist attraction
I got talking to a potter in the other area (I speak fluent Chinese and some Uyghur) and he told me before the pandemic everyone in that area had been relocated to the new city and given abt 4000-5000 yuan compensation. He was allowed to come back and set up his shop but still has to live in the new city area (all modern apartment blocks)
I could peer into some of the rooms and houses and they still had light switches and light bulbs, some shops even had signs remaining. Clearly they were moved out recently. Old city has no traces of its former self, but lots of people still live there.

I never saw the old city so I can't comment on if it was a good decision or not. However it doesn't feel like a theme park, people still live there, kids play in the street, old guys walk around selling naan, and even though there are some tourist cafes it still feels like a real place (compared with stuff like Venice)

Picrel: a small bowl the pottery bossman gave me for free after our chat. We talked a lot about his family too