While most of the focus of Xinjiang’s communication clampdown has been on the internet, I thought I’d share with you one more intriguing part of the new life here in the restricted province.

Read More: FWC articles about Xinjiang’s internet clampdown

A Chinese friend of mine needed to mail a CD to a colleague in Shanghai which had various work-related designs and documents that needed review. When he went to the post office to mail this CD he was informed of new rules that stipulate all electronic media need to be checked and given the appropriate authorization before being sent.

Of course it seems like common sense that this checking process should take place in the post office…but it doesn’t. No, one must first make a 10 minute trek to the central government building where the media is inspected and given the red-stamp of approval. You must then return to the post office with stamp and CD in hand to complete the process.

It’s not a terrible inconvenience…I mean, how often do I send a CD by mail? In fact, if feels a lot like waiting in line at an airport nowadays watching everyone slowly take off their shoes or explain exactly what’s in that tiny bottle.

It’s all in the name of safety, and it goes on until we eventually forget how things used to be.

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Last week China celebrated what is called the “Spring Festival”, the country’s largest holiday.  Whether you visit Beijing, Shanghai, Tibet, or Xinjiang you won’t be able to miss the elaborate decorations and deafening firecrackers – a great experience for first time visitors but an event that most seasoned expats avoid (read my Top 5 reason to Escape Chinese New Year to know why).

Although the holiday is acknowledged in every part of China, not everybody takes part in these celebrations.  Take, for instance, the Uyghur.  They make up almost half the population in the province of Xinjiang yet most of them don’t actively participate in Spring Festival activities.  The Chinese may include Uyghur dances or phrases in their annual variety show (this year actors proclaimed that “CCP’s…policies are yakexi” which in Uyghur means “good”) but in general…

Uyghur do not celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Just Another Winter Day…

In Xinjiang most everybody will have vacation time for the Spring Festival, including Uyghur, but this blanket statement doesn’t apply to all professions. In the hospitals for instance, most Uyghur doctors will be expected to work the holiday.  Uyghur restaurants are still open and if you forgot to buy certain groceries you can count on a Uyghur store when all other places are closed.

At a Uyghur home the day isn’t considered special.  Each of my Uyghur friends told me that they might watch the variety show just because it’s something to do, but they don’t gather as a family to eat large meals like the Han Chinese or pass money to family members in the form of hong bao.

What the Uyghur DO Celebrate

While the Chinese celebrate the lunar New Year (February 14th this year), all of the Muslim minority groups here in Xinjiang – including Uyghur - will celebrate a festival called Noruz – also spelled Nowruz and pronounced to sound like “new rose”.  Unlike the Chinese Spring Festival, Noruz marks the actual first day of spring and is celebrated on March 21st around the world, plus or minus a day due to time zone variation.

Uyghur, Hui, Kazakh and all other Muslim minorities don’t get a day off for this holiday, but that doesn’t stop its celebration.  Families and friends usually gather to take part in a big meal and watch traditional dances and songs on TV.

Outside the cities where farming is the primary profession, this holiday is also supposed to mark the first day for ploughing the fields.  In the south of Xinjiang the weather usually permits this but in the north the temperature is still too cold to begin.

The REAL Spring Festival

I always find it funny when Chinese call their holiday the “Spring Festival”, especially since I can see a foot of snow when I look outside my window.  I’m still wearing two pairs of long johns for goodness sake!  No person in their right mind would consider this the spring season.

Late March sounds a bit more reasonable.  My opinion doesn’t matter, however, as much as the fact that Noruz is the vernal equinox.  This, I believe, is the REAL Spring Festival.

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“Sexy Men” in Arabic, English, and Chinese

This sign on the side of a building by my house is priceless. The store sells men’s underwear but methinks their sign is a bit misleading.

Chinglish on a Car

When traveling to Xinjiang and taking in the beauty of the landscape, the camel is usually the most common symbol of the region. You’ll find camels on travel agency logos, billboards, and even along the side of the road (it’s a crazy sight to see, but I promise you I’ve seen it!)

So borrowing from the pages of Reader’s Digest I’d like to have some fun introducing Xinjiang’s famous two-humped animal. Camels are practically useless in our concrete culture but here, despite modernization, the camel still plays an important, albeit usually symbolic, role.

1) Looking at a Camel as…

… transportation.

Camels in a western petting zoo may take you around in a circle, but out in parts of Xinjiang you can still utilize a camel to cross the desert. Obviously the camel has been replaced as a primary means of getting from point A to point B, but travelers can still hire a caravan to follow in the footsteps of great explorers like Marco Polo or Sven Hedin.

2) Looking at a Camel as…

…a source of Milk

Although no different than obtaining milk from a cow or a yak, I can’t explain why the idea of camel milk just seems so weird. You’ll usually find this particular luxury in a Uyghur supermarket because the Chinese prefer to stick with the equally odd-tasting soy milk.

3) Looking at a Camel as…

…a source of Energy

Who needs a can of Red Bull when you can energize yourself with a bit of Red Camel (camel milk not used). This product is an obvious knock-off whose can is not only the same size but also the same color and design. To make things more confusing it is usually stocked right next to the Red Bull in the supermarket.

4) Looking at a Camel as…

…a play toy

Next time little Johnny needs a friend to help put him to sleep, toss the teddy bear aside and give him a camel. It makes sense, if you think about it. What’s the point in teaching kids that it’s good to hug an animal that would probably eat you in real life given the chance? Camels wouldn’t do that.