New Vigor and Vitality in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

By SUI YUNYAN

THE wallets of the locals are bulging， there is much laughter， people are vigorous and energetic， cultural activities have become enriched， and the lifestyle has become increasingly modernized. A walk through the southern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will enable visitors to spot the varied changes happening in the lives of people of all local ethnic groups.

They support national unity from the bottom of their hearts， and build their beautiful hometowns with full confidence， leading this ancient land to glow with new vigor and vitality.

New Trends

“Sunday Bazaar” in Kadamjay Village， Janbaz Township， Peyziwat County， ushered in a large influx of customers in the warm sunshine.

The parking lot was packed， and the Bazaar was bustling with people， in addition to a variety of commodities and delicacies.

Rahile Hesen， a seller of womens clothes， had dyed her hair， and applied makeup on her face， looking stylish in her shirt， sweater vest， jeans， and boots.

“The goods， all from Kaxgar City， are of the latest style. The more fashionable they are， the better they sell，” the 25-year-old told the reporter in fluent Mandarin.

Patigul Tash， who was trying to market protein powder by calling out its benefits in a loud voice， came from Merkit County， more than 100 kilometers away. She quickly handed out a leaflet at the sight of the reporter.

“Can farmers accept such products？”

“An increasing number of farmers are gradually accepting them. I have been running a stall here for a year， and all the people who come here are returning customers，” Patigul replied happily.

Squeezing out of the Bazaar drenched with sweat， the reporter strolled through the village， and arrived at the home of Kiremian Ghopur， who was renovating his house， and warmly invited the reporter to his home.

There are nine rooms in Kiremjans house， covering a total area of 250 square meters. The ceiling is blue， the furniture is painted white， and the outdoor ceiling and grape rack are all of steel structures.

“The decorations cost more than RMB 100，000. We demolished the kang（heated adobe sleeping platform）， now the house is cleaner.” Kiremjans Mandarin is tinted with a trace of Shanghai accent.

Kiremjan began selling mutton skewers in Shanghai in 2002， and made a group of local friends. He returned to the village for a length of time every year. “Now I can accommodate my friends from Shanghai at home.” He demonstrated the benefits of migrating to other cities for work： earning more money， broadening his horizons， making friends， and so on.

“People in the village used to prefer staying at home， but now they want to go out to work. There are dozens of people working outside the region， some going to Urumqi， Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture， and Shanghai. Our life will definitely continue to get better and better，” Kiremjan said.

More and more women wear makeup， more peasants migrate to other cities to work， more members of ethnic minorities can speak Mandarin， more people have relatives of different ethnic groups， and rural residents have access to more cultural activities. Murat Gheniyat， director of the Philosophy Research Institute of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Academy of Social Sciences， has observed these heartening changes in southern Xinjiang.

“This is true emancipation of the mind； social stability and economic development have profoundly transformed peoples thinking and behavior in southern Xinjiang，” he said.

New Looks

Salam Qadir， a 27-year-old Kaxgar citizen， had just finished a two-month rural job project. “Frequent contact with new things broadens peoples horizons and opens up their minds. In the past two years， rural areas and farmers have undergone significant changes， while cities in southern Xinjiang have become more modernized as well，” Salam said while leading the reporter around the ancient city of Kaxgar.

The Mountain cafe in Kaxgar was full of a strong aroma. “We have freshly ground coffee； in addition to tourists， customers also include local residents. Now even the elderly in the old town will come for a cup of coffee.” The shopkeeper， Mirehmet Turahun， said that several new cafes have opened here this year and business is good.

Obulqasim， 80， kept himself warm by an electric heater in front of his copper art shop. “Its better than a stove. Its environmentally friendly and doesnt pollute the environment.” The stereo in the shop was playing light music. Behind this man who had been engaged in traditional crafts for 67 years was a dazzling array of bright copper artifacts. The scene was like an oil painting.

A small shop called Pretty Girl Hairdo Beauty Salon was ablaze with lights.“What products sell best？” was the question put to the business owner， Galina.

“Beauty and hairdressing products are very popular. Girls nowadays usually wear makeup before going out，” Jialina answered with a smile.

As a large night market had just been built in Kaxgar， the night market in the ancient city was called the “Old Night Market” by Salam. On frequent visits to the night market， the number of smiling new faces keeps increasing – the lady operating the shop selling a snack made of sheep viscera was Ma Asa of the Hui ethnic minority， the stall of spicy hot pot was operated by a newcomer from Sichuan， surnamed Tang. He Ping， a girl of Han ethnicity， said that many ethnic minority residents were fond of her fried tofu， and quite a number of people had become her WeChat friends. Cui Yuying， who sold crayfish and crabs， chatted with the stall owner of Uygur ethnic group nearby and helped him arrange the tableware cheerfully.