The July 4th Incident: Revenge of the Angry Expats

I've mentioned this story once before on this site but I find it so amusing that I decided to share it one more time in light of America's Independence Day.  For any person who has lived in China during the Spring Festival you'll appreciate what these women were trying to do.  Absolutely true story.

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Once upon a time, in a small town in the northern part of Xinjiang there lived two women who were English teachers.  Hardworking, dedicated, and reliable, these women usually stayed under the radar and provided no problems for the school or the local police bureau.  Nobody had taken the time to see that these women were frustrated, and they had spent much time prior to this July 4th planning to exact their revenge.

The anger began building earlier that year during the days leading up to and immediately following Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year.  All throughout the country, for anywhere from three to seven days, the deafening sound of Chinese firecrackers (see an example video I posted earlier) reverberate off every wall in the city creating an almost unbearable coffin of noise.  Very few foreigners can live through this experience without complaining even a little or just leaving the country, but these women went a step further.

Pooling their resources they had the foresight to buy boxes full of the few remaining firecrackers in the city and store them away in their apartment for four months.  Forget the fire hazard, this was war.  On the outside these women were the perfect English teachers who had quickly adapted to expat life in China, but their closet spoke differently.

Four months later on July 4th these boxes of firecrackres came out of hiding and were unloaded in the small neighborhood courtyard.  Most of these local Chinese people had no idea today was a special day in America, but they were about to find out.  As lights began to turn off and people drifted to sleep, two matches were lit.

Then the noise began.  Bam! Pop! Crack-crack-cra-cra-crack!!

And it didn't stop.  Not for 30 minutes, and even then it wasn't because they ran out of firecrackers! The police had arrived as well as the school officials and practically the entire neighborhood.  Nobody was sleeping at this late hour due to the incredible racket the firecrackers had made.  These women were crazy, they could all agree on this, but what to do with them?

In the end the firecrackers were confiscated and everybody was sent home.  A warning was issued but no action was taken.  The battle may have been lost, but these two women demonstrated a resolve and a bravery not often found in your typical expat in China.  They told China what most of us here only wish we could say:

"We hate your noisy firecrackers!  The least you could do is make 'em look pretty."

Religion in the Xinjiang Desert: Worship of An Unlikely Object

I'd like to introduce you to one of the most popular buildings in Karamay, a small city of only 200,000 people here in Xinjiang.  This building of worship was built only a few years ago and to the naked eye looks similar to what you'd find on many street corners in the United States.  Just like its western counterparts, this place provides comfort and refuge from the harsh realities of life as well as a community of people who share a common passion.  It represents the only place of worship that is not only accepted by the local government but also boasts a large membership their ranks.

Inside the main auditorium, however, you won't find mass seating, a choir loft or a pulpit.  It isn't really a church although it could be considered a religion.  Here in the middle of the desert it is a worship of the one thing most sacred and valuable to life here: the religion of water.

Up until only a couple of decades ago water was a scarce commodity in this part of Xinjiang.  The only reason this city even exists is thanks to all the oil that lies beneath the arid surface.  Back in the 1950's and 60's water used to be collected in large containers and transported by camels back to the oil workers.  The water was then rationed, allowing each individual only one basin of water per day in which to bathe, wash clothes, and cook.

 

 

Fast forward to the present, thanks to the series of reservoirs and diverted rivers, every household is provided with running water while sprinklers water the lush gardens of the beautiful new city park.  A small, man-made river cuts through the center of town eventually draining into the large town reservoir.  Every night during the warmer months this river walk is lined with people who come to enjoy the plentiful water while trying to forget that they are living in the midst of a very dry desert.

The main attraction along this river is a spectacular water show that overshadows anything I have seen back in America.  Water dances to music in choreographed movements while being shot as a high as 70 meters into the sky.  The city has somehow taken the region's most scarce commodity and turned it into a form of entertainment.

 

 

To top it all off, as if all this worship has garnered the favor Poseidon, weather has shifted and precipitation has noticeably increased even during the three years that I have lived here.  The city streets, which were originally built without a drainage system due to the lack of rains in the past, now easily flood during the spring months.

It is common knowledge that atheism is the official religion of the Chinese government, but one look at many cities in Xinjiang will reveal monuments to the one religion they do promote - the worship of water.

Xinjiang Crippled by Urumqi Riots; Curfew Set

On Sunday, July 5th at around 9:30pm Beijing time, a riot began which has crippled Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang province.  As with any such event here in China, reports are sketchy and numbers vary drastically.  Misleading photos and estimations are already circulating all over the web.  Reliable details won't be available for at least another 24 hours, but here is a list of what can be confirmed:

• Many Uyghurs have taken to the streets of Urumqi, overturning vehicles and breaking store windows.
• Deaths have occurred (reports of three as of this writing, but not confirmed)
• A curfew has been set for all residents of Urumqi (official government-issued announcement)
  
• Most videos and pictures about this riot are being blocked in the mainland as soon as they appear on the internet.

What is not clearly known at this time is the reason for the riots.  Most people speculate that it has something to do with the incident in Shaoguan in which a toy factory brawl left 2 Uyghurs dead and many more injured.  Blame for the Urumqi riot will most likely land on the shoulders of Rabiya Kadeer, one of the most prominent Uyghur leaders who had called for the Uyghurs to protest this incident.

If you are planning on traveling to Xinjiang anytime this week it might be wise to reconsider your plans.  Security will definitely be tight and police on high alert at this time. 

An update will be made once further information is gathered, but until then you can read more here:

  The New Dominion: Riots in Urumqi - Videos
  ESWN - The Urumqi Mass Incident (New Roundup)
  Reuters - Riot Strikes China's Xinjiang Region Capital

The Famous Xinjiang Muslim Market

Every Friday (or sometimes Sunday) in cities all over Xinjiang, small blocks in the middle of the city are transformed into a maze of stalls, carts, and mobile kitchens. For the entire afternoon the buzz of marketplace activity breathes life into what during the rest of the week is usually an empty lot. You can visit a Muslim Market as far away as Shanghai and the most famous can be found in cities such as Kashgar or Hotan (Khotan), but in fact any Xinjiang city that boasts a community of Uyghurs, which should be all of them, will most likely hold their own Muslim Market.

It's not hard to spot a Muslim Market.  Just look for the pillar of smoke rising from within the city signaling all the kebab grills being put to good use.  Unless some building happens to catch fire on a Friday afternoon, this is the fastest way to find one.  Of course there's also the wall of vendor noise and sizzling pots that also indicates the presence of a lively market.

Where I live the Friday Market happens to be located in a small square next door to the city's largest mosque. It's the same square that holds all the sheep being sold during the very important Corban Festival.  When empty the square looks quite small, yet during Friday market it seems as though the area stretches to hold the numerous vendors that come to sell goods and food. I don't normally eat lunch out here. My stomach has taken a beating on more than one occasion from the meat that has been hanging out in the sun all day long. Instead, my goal on this hot day is to get my hands on a nice cup of Uyghur ice cream.

This particular market happens to be divided into three parts: vendors selling hot food, vendors selling goods, and finally vendors selling fresh produce.  I entered the market on the side of the hot food vendors and was greeted by lines of makeshift tents, the aroma of roasted lamb, and skinned animal carcases hanging on either side.  A simple glance to my left revealed sheep and goats heads which had been slow roasted and were starring me in the face.
 

After holding my breath during the entire stretch of outdoor restaurants I was relieved to finally breathe semi-fresh air once I reached the clothing and trinkets vendors.  In the past I have bought knives, beautiful fabric, and some clothes here but today I was just trying to pass through.  I was stopped, however, by the funny sounds of a man emphatically selling his wares off the hood of his car.  Forget Chinese herbal medicine, this guy was hawking some crazy junk and people were buying it.  Skin remedies, snake venom, and vials full of who-knows-what could reputedly cure most anything.  Satisfaction guaranteed.
 

 

I wasn't really into that, though, and thankfully I could see my holy grail, Uyghur ice cream, at the end of this aisle.  Alongside stands selling various natural juice I found one lady with a big pile of fresh ice cream waiting for me to buy.  Ice cream in hand I was able to quickly navigate my way out of the market and back to regular civilization.

The craziness that is a Xinjiang Muslim Market is a wonderful thing to experience, but my complete exhaustion and cultural overload after this short trip makes me happy it only occurs one day out of the week.