Nomads in a Taxkorgan Valley by Reuben Silverman

Depending on which direction you’re heading, the town of Taxkorgan (sometimes spelled Tashkorgan) is either your first stop in China or a final goodbye. It’s located on the Karakoram Highway not far from the pass leading to Pakistan.

Aside from beautiful green pastures populated by nomadic Kyrgyz people and their herds, Taxkorgan is also known for its stone castle, nicknamed the “Princess Castle”. If you’re going to make your way out as far as the beautiful Karakul Lake, it’s almost a waste not to journey just an hour more to Taxkorgan.

This picture was taken by Reuben Silverman, who recently took a trip out to China’s far western border. He wrote a great story about his trip to Kashgar you can read here and I appreciate the chance to use his photo here on FarWestChina. Thanks!

There is a poll up on the FarWestChina Facebook page right now that I’d love to get your opinion on. It has to do with how the world views Uyghur in light of all that has happened over the past year and a half (or longer, depending on your familiarity with Xinjiang history).

A Uyghur Neighbor?

If a Uyghur moved next door to you today, how would you react? Take a second to give your opinion and hopefully we can get a good picture of how Xinjiang’s largest minority group are viewed globally. If you don’t see the answer you’d like, just leave a comment there.

Also, if you haven’t already, become a fan of the FarWestChina Facebook page. It helps share the website with people who otherwise wouldn’t have seen it and in the next month I’ll also be holding a contest there.

With the exception of journalist, most foreigners these days are welcomed to Xinjiang with open arms. We bring language, expertise and best of all – money.

There is, however, a list of foreigners – both past and present – who will forever be scorned in the Xinjiang history books. Fair or not, these men and women have been branded by words and stories that leave Chinese people in the province shaking their head in disgust.

This is the Xinjiang Most-Wanted Foreigners List.

#4 – Yaqub Beg (Central Asian)

Born in modern-day Uzbekistan, Yaqub Beg is one of the most hated figures in Xinjiang’s history.  Throughout the 19th century Yaqub held considerable sway over the western portion of Xinjiang and was known as a harsh leader. Xinjiang history articles describe his birth as such:

His father was a religious [person] who chanted sutras for patients. Soon after Yakub was born, his parents divorced. His mother remarried a butcher. Butcher’s adopted son was still a butcher. The only difference was that he slaughtered people.

The feelings toward his place in history still remain: in 1978 during a renovation of the land where Yaqub is buried, his tomb was razed.

#3 Albert von Le Coq (German)

If you’ve ever visited the Gaochang ruins or the Beziklik caves in Turpan, you’ve seen von Le Coq’s work. Likewise you’ve also seen the signs in the caves that tell of how the foreigner “thieves came in and stole” the precious paintings.

Albert von Le Coq was one of many foreign archeologist to explore Xinjiang and take back countless paintings and artifacts to Berlin where many were bombed to pieces during World War II.

Regardless of your opinion about whether archeologist in the early 20th century stole paintings or rescued them, one thing is certain – the Chinese hate the legacy he left in Xinjiang.

#2 Aurel Stein – (Hungarian / British)

Right up there with von LeCoq, Stein is also despised for what he took out of both Xinjiang and Gansu. His work can be seen all around the Taklamakan and he was credited with finding and excavating many lost desert cities during his expeditions.

Perhaps his most famous footnote in history, however, was when he was able to gain access to a padlocked cave near Dunhuang (Gansu) that housed the Diamond Sutra – the world’s oldest printed text. The amazing story is best told, I believe, by Peter Hopkirk in the book Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, but suffice to say the Chinese believe a young monk who didn’t have a clue what he was protecting was hoodwinked by an educated foreigner.

Stein was somehow able to exit Xinjiang with crates upon crates of Central Asian treasure, much of which is still stored and sometimes displayed in the British Museum to the ire of Chinese officials.

#1 Rebiya Kadeer (Uyghur / US)

Rebiya holds the distinction of being the only woman on this list as well as the only living person on Xinjiang’s Most Wanted list. Technically she’s not a foreigner since she was born in Xinjiang, but considering her current residence in the US it’s safe to call her a stranger in her own land.

Her story is quite interesting, working her way from being a poor business woman doing laundry to eventually becoming the richest woman in China and a part of the Xinjiang government. Her criticism of the government, however, eventually earned her a spot in a Chinese prison.

Upon release she left for the US where she still actively works on behalf of the Uyghur, but since the Urumqi riots in 2009 and the accusations that she was the mastermind behind it all, her reputation among Han Chinese in Xinjiang has become that of a wanted criminal.

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Want to be on this list? It’s easy! All you need to do is declare independence, cut out valuable paintings, or become politically active. In no time at all you’ll earn a spot on Xinjiang’s Most Wanted Foreigners (let me know so I can update this post, please).

Gaochang Ruins in Turpan. Courtesy of Zara Arshad

It’s amazing to me that the crumbling mud walls of this ancient town outside Turpan was once a vibrant city along the Silk Road. Gaochang, also known in the local language as “Kharakhoja”, was once a capital of the region for both Han and Uyghur kingdoms.

Now the only people in the city are tourist discovering thousands of years of Xinjiang history. If you’ve never been to Turpan I highly suggest you take a trip, and before you go grab a copy of the free Turpan Travel Guide published by yours truly.

Also worth checking out are some of the other Xinjiang photos by photographer Zara Arshad. Her recent trip to the province has produced some beautiful shots of both landscape and people that you can view on her Flickr page. Gorgeous!

At 10:30am on Thursday morning, August 19th, a Uyghur man in Aksu, Xinjiang threw a bomb into a group of people while riding his motorized tricycle. According to reports, 7 people have died and 14 more are injured. The man responsible for the attack was injured but survived and is now under arrest.

*This article has been updated. See all notes below for most recent news*

The Aksu Bombing

The press has jumped on this story with lighting speed which has resulted in more than a few discrepancies between accounts. Reuters claims that the people injured were all paramilitary while The Guardian describes it as “a crowd”. AFP quotes a government spokesman as saying that most of the victims were Uyghur. One thing they all agree on is the number of people hurt, and they type of vehicle (a three-wheeled vehicle seen in this picture).

The Xinjiang government, seemingly better prepared for such an event following the riots last year, has responded with a hasty news conference and – to the surprise of many – interviews.

The BBC was able to interview a government official (listen for the interview at around the 10min mark) who said:

Since the case is under investigation, the reason for these attacks is currently unknown. We will release more information after the investigation has ended.

According to some reports, martial law has been enacted in Aksu, but a government spokeswoman has denied this. What the government has been able to do is suppress the dissemination of images from the attack, if there are any. Many reports, including those by the RFA and the Los Angeles Times have used stock photos because there is nothing else to use.

History of Unrest in Aksu

As is the case in most every city in Xinjiang, this isn’t the first time there has been unrest in Aksu. Two bombs went off in Aksu in July 1994 following the implementation of “family planning and birth control” experiments that didn’t settle well a Uyghur population that was used to large families.

Interestingly, Aksu has also been home to Han demonstrations. Back in 1979 and 1980, over 5,000 to 6,000 Han ‘educated youth’ from Shanghai occupied the local administrative offices for 50 days. They had been brought to Xinjiang to work in the Bingtuan but were unhappy and ready to go back home.

Terrorism or Criminal Act?

It has yet to be determined whether this will be classified a terrorist act or a criminal act. The New Dominion seems to think that the man will “confess” to affiliations with outside terrorist groups.

Currently it is being handled as a criminal case, according to a government spokesman. Considering the nature of the crime (a single man, home made explosives) it should likely stay that way, but only time will tell.

It sucks to say this, but this is just another image of Xinjiang that the international press has been happy to run. As long as the public only hears this kind of news, it’s no wonder people are somewhat nervous about coming to Xinjiang.

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Update 8/21: The AFP reports that there were actually two suspects – a man and a woman. The woman, who was allegedly also throwing bombs, was killed during the incident (although it’s not clear whether she was included in the death toll).

Update 8/21: RFA reports that the police killed in the attack were known to have “…harassed ethnic Uyghurs, singling out men with beards and women wearing traditional head coverings, according to police sources.” The report also states the time of the attack as being 8:30am, although it’s likely that this is Xinjiang time, not Beijing time.

Update 8/26: Reuters reports that four people have been detained in connection with this bombing. Also noted is a correction that 6 people died and 15 were injured.

A short distance south of Xinjiang’s capital of Urumqi there is a portion of beautiful land known as Nanshan, or “South Mountains”. For years tourist and locals have traveled away from the noisy, polluted city life seeking the peaceful scenery that Nanshan provides, but soon they will have an entirely different reason to visit: a new luxury golf course.

A Growing Golf Market in Xinjiang?

Of course, very few people I met in Xinjiang know how to play golf – much less can afford to – but that’s beside the point. The worldwide image of golf as an elite, rich-man’s sport has somehow enticed developers in one of China’s poorer provinces to begin building golf courses.

Nanshan partially bulldozed for new luxury golf course. Photo by Zara Arshad

It should be noted that golf won’t be the first sport to entertain visitors of Nanshan. As you can see from the picture, skiing has become quite popular among the Xinjiang middle class as well (note the ski lift). Ski resorts have popped up everywhere around Urumqi and a few other wealthier Xinjiang cities.

Skiing, however, is affordable. Golf is not. So the question remains: if you build it, will they come?

Golfing in the Middle of Nowhere

Karamay is a small, young city by China standards (pop: 200,000, 50 yrs old). It is located in northern Xinjiang about 4 hours away from Urumqi and boasts one of the highest standards of living anywhere in China thanks to the booming oil industry.

An empty golf course in Karamay, Xinjiang

Part of the excess money that has poured into the city thanks to oil has been spent on a million-dollar city park, incredible water attractions, and – now – a golf course. Every day people young and old flock to the park and every evening hundreds gather to watch the water and light show along the man-made river.

Not once in four years did I ever see anybody play on that golf course.

The course is beautiful, well-kept and dotted with lovely fake oil rigs. I was quite interested to play a round of golf there but unfortunately I could find no person to play with me. The cost was too high for my Chinese and Uyghur friends and they didn’t even know how to play.

The State of Golf in China

Dan Washburn, a Shanghai-based writer, teamed up with photographer Ryan Pyle earlier this year for a Financial Times story about a secret new golf course in China’s Hainan province.

In the article Dan dives into the world of golf in China and how, despite a moratorium on golf course construction, developers are working to finish the largest collection of golf courses in the world. How then, can these courses in Hainan be built? How can Xinjiang be constructing new courses if it’s against the law? Dan’s answer:

There’s an answer to these questions, too, and it is also China. In the years since the government announced its supposed golf course moratorium, the number of courses has nearly trebled to an estimated 600 or so. In China, there is always a way.

Naturally all the money spent on golf raises concerns of corruption. Last week government officials in Wenzhou were given an ultimatum: either quit a new golf association or take part in a “self-criticism”. Needless to say, most of them chose the former.

Why Golf?

Despite the moratorium on course construction, despite the government frowning on golf association memberships, despite the few people in Xinjiang who can afford to play – construction of the Nanshan golf course continues.

But why?

Maybe it’s the internationally-promoted image of golf as representative of a developed country or city. Tourism literature like what you see on the left boasts high-class facilities available to businessmen and foreign visitors.

Maybe the upper-class Chinese really do enjoy golf and are a market ready to be tapped. Whatever the reason, it has the potential to further divide Xinjiang’s rich and poor in a way that can’t easily be overlooked.

Interesting how luxury golf courses are being built in an area that is receiving trillions of dollars in government aid, don’t you think?

Update 9/2: Apparently, Karamay and Urumqi aren’t the only two cities capitalizing on golf courses. Kashgar is getting into the trend as well.

Are you hoping to make a trip out to Xinjiang sometime in the next couple of years? If not…you should!… but if you are planning a trip I’d like to point you to a new section of the FarWestChina website that I am proud to unveil.

Xinjiang Travel Resources

Any person planning a trip to Xinjiang knows – or will quickly discover – that information on the province is thin. I don’t consider myself an expert on Xinjiang travel, but I have made my way around the province and it’s been my desire for quite some time to translate my experience into helpful travel resources.

To that end I’ve spent a large portion of my recent free time developing the new Xinjiang Travel Resources section of this website. In this section you’ll find:

• Xinjiang Maps: A (growing) collection of provincial and city maps that should help you understand the provincial layout and get around individual cities.
• China Travel Books Guide: Not every travel book suits every traveler. I’ve compared the most popular China guidebooks to tell you which one is right for YOU.
• Xinjiang Hotels: I don’t book hotels, I just recommend the ones I’ve used, seen, or heard about that I like.
• Uyghur Language Guide: Want to learn a few basic Uyghur or Mandarin phrases? Listen as native speakers teach you the most often-used phrases.
• Xinjiang Souvenirs: Learn about a few of the most popular souvenirs to take home from your trip…and get an idea for how much you should spend.
• Xinjiang Food Guide: Get acquainted with what you’re going to eat! Learn which dishes you want to try and how to say them in both Mandarin and Uyghur.
• And more…

Hopefully these resources can be of great benefit to you as you plan your trip to Xinjiang. These pages are still a work in progress, so if you have any comments or suggestions, I welcome you to contact me.

More to Come…

As many of you already know, I have published a Turpan Travel Guide that is currently offered free to subscribers of FarWestChina. I recently completed a guide for Urumqi which will soon be offered, as well as a guide for Kashgar which I have almost finished.

I’m toying with the idea of a forum-like question page wherein travelers can ask questions or review those which have already been asked/answered. I enjoy getting emails from travelers but I think it would be an efficient use of my time if I could compile the answers to many of the most-asked questions onto one page.

Guest Posting

If you’ve recently been to Xinjiang and would like to share some of your experience for others to learn from, please contact me so we can work out a guest post. You can submit a Picture of the Week, a Top 5 Destinations article, or just write up your own story.

Thanks again to everybody for your support, and please pass along this website to anybody you know who will be traveling to Xinjiang!

This week I’m continuing my Top 5 series on Xinjiang travel with a new guest, Glen Russell. If you remember last month, China traveler Graham Woodring shared his top 5 favorite destinations within the province, a list that included the most obvious places to travel in Xinjiang. Today Glen shares with us some of his memories of Xinjiang and a few beautiful photos he took.

If you don’t know Glen Russell you should really get to know him and his writing. He is a Canadian who made his home in Suzhou for two years before moving on to Guangzhou to teach at an International School. He went to Xinjiang in May of 2009 for a short vacation away from the big city. You can read more of his recent writings on either the Lost Laowai website or his personal blog.

So without further ado, here are Glen’s Top 5 Xinjiang travel tips and destinations:

#1 Go: The Karakoram Pass

The biggest highlight on a trip full of highlights for me was the drive along Karakorum Pass.  For four hours there, and four more hours back my jaw was wide open and my camera was working overdrive.  The scenery to the south of Kashgar is simply beyond description.  My one regret of this trip is that I didn’t take this drive farther.  I went as far as Karakul Lake, and if I had done this again I would have gone all the way into Pakistan.

#2 Watch out: Surly McTwoHumps

After the stupendous Karakoram driving we got to ride a camel around Karakul Lake.  After spending so much time in the urban sprawl of Eastern China the chance to breathe some fresh air and spend some time with yaks was well appreciated.  Now my girlfriend’s camel was a nice and polite camel going slowly were he was supposed to.  Mine on the other hand was a jerk amongst camels.  He would constantly try to run ahead or walk in the lake.  Thus his name was born.  Hopefully you can get the good camel when you go.

#3 Use: John’s Cafe

While the trip in Xinjiang was fantastic, there was a bit of an issue when we got back.  The travel agency that arranged the trip for us was nothing short of crooked.  See we decided to not go with the famous John’s Cafe, instead going for a smaller one.  They told us that everything was paid for (and it seemed quite reasonable) but when we got to Karakul, all sorts of things were not provided for us and there were a ton of other hidden charges.  Upon getting to Turpan later on, we went with the John’s Cafe there and received the best of service, at the most reasonable of prices.  I can’t recommend this agency/cafe enough for the good food and fantastic service.

#4 Visit: Kashgar’s Livestock Market

Everyone always talks about the Kashgar Sunday Market, and with good cause.  It is a simply amazing place to be haggled with in multiple languages over everything you’ve ever thought of. However, the most interesting and “far from home” experience that I’ve ever had in my life was at the smaller, Livestock Market a little outside of Kashgar.  There were people literally trading goats for chickens, and I had to duck out of the way more than once while someone was test driving a donkey.  I have never felt so far away from home as I did that moment, and I doubt that I ever will.

#5 22 Hours Later… (Long-Distance Buses)

Given that we had such a short time in the Western Frontier, we had to really focus our traveling.  We decided to center our journey around Kashgar and Turpan.  This seemed all well and good, as both cities were full of sights and character.  However, the trouble was getting between the two.  While we flew to Kashgar from Urumqi (to make the Sunday markets), we didn’t want to fly back.  After missing the boat on the train tickets, we were left with a very painful option, a bus.  The bus ride was 22 hours in a very crammed space.  It had no bathroom, and I don’t know if anyone on the bus had ever heard of deodorant.  While I don’t mind long rides, this was most certainly too much, and would not fit into my plans if I were doing it again.

Read more about Glen’s trip to Xinjiang in his ChinaTravel article.

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Have you traveled to Xinjiang? These are just a handful of great places to see in Xinjiang.  If you would like to share your Top 5 favorite destinations from your trip, please contact me.  Don’t worry, photos are welcome but not necessary!

Traveling to Xinjiang? Find out which China Travel Guide is best for YOU!

Xinjiang’s Gobi March, part of a series of four desert races, has been named by Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 Endurance Competitions in the world. The following is a photo essay of the June 2010 race including quotes from those who both participated and volunteered.

The Gobi March was the hardest thing I have ever done, it was much tougher than I’d expected…We climbed serious hills, went through rocky canyons, up narrow gulleys, over sandy dunes, [and] across river currents.     – Catherine Thomé, race participant

I’ll always remember the sight on the first day after passing dead cows in the gully and reaching the top of the very first ridge. Tian Shan and Bogda mountain ranges, snow capped, left and right and the valley stretching out in front of me for mile after mile, rolling like a stormy green sea. Deep troughs running across the valley floor every 2 or 3 miles and curling plateaus between. Seldom can I honestly say a sight has taken my breath away, but this did.   – John Warren, race participant

We went up flaming mountain where  the monkey god put out the fire with his [fan], or [something] along those lines.. The rest was traversing across hills and negotiating ravines within the hills.. The heat is taking its toll. A competitor just came in and puked about 7 times.    – Patrick Wei, race participant

The sensation every time I chomped into the half watermelon I had in my hands… I had just finished a 250km race and this watermelon was rocking my world! Chomp…chomp…just letting it just drip everywhere, I couldn’t get any dirtier than I was… dripping all over my hands, sipping and slurping the juice, the texture of the melon almost cleaning my teeth, this amazing porous, fresh, crunchy, drippy, half moon shaped yummmmm…wow.    – Luisa Jean Cooper, race participant

[T]he Japanese and South Korean competitors have, as a whole, the best attitudes to the race, always smiling and really happy to enjoy the experience of being there. In the Gobi, the oldest competitor was a woman named Kumi Murakami whose advice to the youngest competitors was: “Stop doing these races if you don’t enjoy them”.   – Melanie Ho, race media member

Whoever signs up for a race like the Gobi should be fully aware that this is a tough endurance ultra race. It’s a 7-day, self-supported race in the desert. A desert is an unforgiving place with ridiculously extreme temperatures, and the only way to survive this is to make sure you have a strong body and strong mind.    – Denvy Lo, Gobi March 2010 Women’s Winner

We finished the race with a 5km sprint. It was somewhat odd bearing in mind the distances we’d already covered but there were not too many complaining. Crossing the line was a wonderful sensation, knowing that I had done enough to win. However, for many of the competitors just getting to the finish [was] the primary objective.    – Dan Parr, Gobi March 2010 Winner

I can’t really believe it’s over, I feel like we are going to go out again tomorrow. Then again, it also feels like we have been out here for more than seven days.    – Travis Watt, race participant

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*Special thanks to Catherine Thomé who graciously offered photos 1,2 & 4 to FarWestChina.

**Thanks again to Melanie Ho for the rest of these pictures and her stories about the race that you can read on her Gobi March Coverage.

On July 23rd, 2010, a Uyghur journalist, activist and blogger named Gheyret Niyaz (a.k.a. Heyrat Niyaz, 海莱特·尼亚孜) was sentenced to 15 years in prison.  His crime, according to many reports, was “endangering state security” by conducting an interview with a Hong Kong newspaper shortly after the Urumqi riots of 2009. He played no role in the actual riots.

Mainstream media has focused its stories on the harsh 15-yr sentence handed down by the Chinese court, but they tend to overlook the details surrounding the accusations made against this prominent Uyghur and exactly why he was convicted.

Who is Gheyret Niyaz? And what exactly did he say in that interview to merit 15 years in prison?

Who is Gheyret Niyaz?

Gheyret Niyaz is a Uyghur journalist who has lived most of his life in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi, with the exception of a 4-year period of university studies in Beijing (Minzu University). He had worked previously as a senior reporter for the Xinjiang Economic News and was an editor/administrator for the popular Mandarin-language Uyghur website Uyghurbiz.

What’s most surprising about this particular Uyghur is that Gheyret Niyaz, unlike many of his peers, is known for his generally supportive views of the Chinese government. He has never been accused of participating in the riots although he was in Urumqi at the time “…on Xinhua Nanlu watching as rioter smashed and looted”.

So why in the world would he be sentenced to 15 years in prison?

The Punishable Interview

A couple weeks following the Urumqi riots an interview was published on Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly) that China authorities believed crossed the line from journalism to criminal activity.

Although people in Xinjiang, including myself, were not able to read this interview at the time due to government-imposed internet restrictions, a translation was soon posted online detailing the discussion between the Hong Kong reporter and Gheyret Niyaz.

In this interview Gheyret explains his predictions prior to July that something was going to happen and how he had tried to warn the authorities:

After the incident in Shaoguan, Guangdong, I felt that something big would happen, that blood would flow…I called a friend of mine in the government and said, “Something is going to happen tomorrow. You should take some measures”…In fact, I was not even the first person to warn the relevant government agencies on July 4. Just after 6 p.m. on July 4 another person had provided a warning.

Just who exactly this other person was that provided a warning is never revealed, but his point is clear: there were serious red flags prior to July 5th. Although these statements certainly don’t reflect well on the government, it’s hardly worth 15 years in prison.

Later in the interview Gheyret expressed another feeling that has been shared by many people throughout Xinjiang, both Uyghur and Han:

Ethnic relations in Xinjiang really became more tense over the past 20 years or so. After taking office, Party Secretary Wang Lequan adopted a high-handed posture that would not allow for any ethnic sentiment among minority populations…[Wang] overemphasized and exacerbated the anti-separatist issue.

Wang has since been replaced by new Party Secretary Zhang Chunxian, but it certainly had nothing to do with pressure from this interview.

Article 111 of the China Criminal Code

Although details of his sentence are difficult to nail down, it’s likely that Gheyret Niyaz was convicted under Article 111 of the China Criminal Code. This section of Chinese law states:

Whoever steals, secretly gathers, purchases, or illegally provides state secrets or intelligence…is to be sentenced from not less than five years to not more than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment; when circumstances are particularly serious, he is to be sentenced to not less than 10 years of fixed- term imprisonment, or life sentence; and when circumstances are relatively minor, he is to be sentenced to not more than five years of fixed-term imprisonment, criminal detention, control, or deprivation of political rights. (emphasis mine)

In other words, this 15 year sentence signifies that the Chinese judicial system sees this interview as an offense of “particularly serious” nature.

Many organizations have appealed to China on Gheyret’s behalf, including the WUC (World Uyghur Congress) – which is a bit ironic considering one of his comments during last year’s interview.

When asked “How do local Uyghur intellectuals view [the president of the WUC]?” Gheyret responded:

They’re not interested. [She] basically has no ideas.

Why the Harsh Sentence?

If you remember, late last year another Uyghur named Alimjan Yimit was convicted under the same Article 111 for a 15 year sentence.  In 2008 a man in Turpan named Ekberjan Jamal was sentenced to 10 years for passing on audio clips of a a protest to friends outside the country.

Now Gheyret Niyaz can be added to the list of those receiving harsh sentences for seemingly minor crimes.

I speculate that such sentences are meant to discourage all Uyghur from conducting interviews with media, even those as harmless as the one above. If that’s the case, it’s working. Every journalist I speak to who has returned from a trip to Xinjiang tells stories about Uyghur interviewees who don’t show up, refuse to answer questions, or don’t even agree to talk at all.

As long as China feels defensive about its position in Xinjiang – and that might be for quite a while – the liberal use of Article 111 will continue to scare all residents within the province.