Xinjiang Province, Western China. Described by my one of my Chinese teachers as “a place that causes us a lot of trouble.” It has seen riots, knife-attacks and the attempted high-jacking of an aircraft. The silver lining? Flights were very cheap.
The Uyghurs
Xinjiang Province, Western China.
The reason for all the problems in the province is the tensions between the ethnic Han Chinese (75% of the population) and the Uyghurs (25% of the population), who have a culture more that is more East Asian than Chinese. My experience of the Uyghurs was that they were incredibly friendly, welcoming and warm-hearted.
The diversity of Xinjiang makes it fascinating. Road signs are often written in Chinese, Arabic, Russian and English. The province also has two time-zones, with the Chinese working off Beijing time, while the Uyghurs wind the clocks back 2 hours.
And just when I thought I’d mastered the art of directing taxis in Chinese, it turns out the Uyghurs don’t (or at least refuse) to speak or read Chinese.
Ethnic tensions?
Police cars roaming the streets
The Chinese and the Uyghurs get on like a house on fire – with each blaming each other for lighting the fire.
Uyghurs seeking independence have caused much of the recent violence. They in turn blame oppressive Chinese rule and discrimination for their plight.
The tensions were obvious all over Urumqi. Heavily armed police were everywhere. Police were always pulling and searching cars. Police stations are dotted throughout Urumqi city. It was almost impossible to enter any building, whether a pharmacy or a Pizza Hut, without going through a metal detector. Even our hotel was protected by riot-shield wielding guards.
The Uyghur neighbourhoods were patrolled by squads of heavily armed Chinese police, supported by the occasional convoy of military vehicles.
But the over-active security apparatus is a distraction from the beauty of Urumqi and its surrounds. The backdrop of Urumqi city is a vast snow-capped mountain range. The food is amazing with a distinct middle-eastern streak.
Tourist friendly?
Wondering through paddocks in some rural town outside of the city.
Xinjiang is not for the faint-hearted. The best sights are well-outside of Urumqi city and almost all the information in the travel guides and on the internet is out-dated or plain wrong. Online maps are generally inaccurate and making it to the intended site is an achievement in itself. The journey to Heaven Lake (story coming soon) pretty much sums up the patience and persistence required.
Ultimately, navigating the streets, paddocks and mountain-sides, all while avoiding arbitrary arrest is half the fun of visiting Xinjiang. It is a spectacular part of China and well worth exploring – just have the number of your Embassy on speed-dial.
