The Silk Road has become to Xinjiang as the Great Wall is to China. The first foreigners to cross this important set of trade routes were kindly referred to as merchants but around the turn of the century another group of foreigners would step foot here and be labeled devils.
Read More ▸How did the Urumqi riots of 2009 change the way people lived in Xinjiang, China? During the months that followed the riots, quite a few newsworthy events continued to shape life in Xinjiang, including the syringe scare and the outbreak of H1N1. As always, keep in mind that this all comes from personal observation and […]
Read More ▸How much information is really getting into and out of Xinjiang? Is the internet completely cut or just partially? If so, how am I updating this blog while still living in Xinjiang? And the question on everybody’s mind who has any concern about Xinjiang: when will they turn the internet back on?
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Xinjiang, in both recent and ancient history, has never been known as a haven of peace and tranquility. Murders and coups of the past have now been replaced by riots and what the Chinese call “splittism” (the desire to separate the country). Here’s a quick look at the riots and unrest that have occurred in […]
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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 […]
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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. It represents the only place of worship that is not only accepted by the local government but also boasts a large membership from their ranks.
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Last weekend my wife and I attended another Chinese wedding of a co-worker who was getting married to a local fireman. It was a beautiful wedding held in a hotel banquet hall and we were happy to attend. Everything progressed in the same manner as most every modern Chinese wedding we have seen, except for […]
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Within the narrow alleyways of this Old Town lie thousands of years of Kashgar’s history. Aged wooden doors and cobblestone paths have witnessed the passage of innumerable donkey carts, small Uyghur children and, in recent times, many foreign tourists. On the outside, these mud-brick walls seem at peace with their place in history but just […]
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First published in 2004, Wang Gang’s English has become an unexpected bestseller in China and has won numerous awards including the 2005 “Best Novel of the Year” from the prestigious People’s Literature Publishing House. Almost five years later, with rights to the novel sold around the world…
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“You can sit down on the floor” Sam said to me, pointing to the mass-market carpet that took up almost the entire living room. We had just finished dinner and I had been wandering around this humble 5th floor apartment enjoying the cool breeze gently pushing through the windows. Two bedrooms, an office, a bathroom the size of a coat closet, a kitchen and a living room made up the small but cozy…
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From city guides to souvenir guides. From maps to hotel recommendations. Everything you need to plan your Xinjiang travel is here.
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