We traveled to a location near the geographical center of Asia. Twenty kilometers from the monument marking this symbolic point (43.6667° N, 87.3167° E) lies the city of Urumqi (Urumchi), from which we embarked on our journeys of discovery. In ancient times, the Chinese called these places the Western Frontier, Xiyu, and today it is known as Xinjiang. The full name is the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, as nearly half of the region's population consists of Muslim Uyghurs, members of the oldest living Turkic peoples in the world. The rest are Chinese and eleven other ethnic groups who practice various religions.
Why here? Many might think: what's the point of flying four hours from Beijing to a scorching desert? Indeed, there is a desert here, slightly smaller than Germany, which caravans had to go far around; and even outside the desert, it rains less than five days a year. And yet, you will find flourishing orchards with dozens of exotic fruit varieties, vast vineyards producing the sweetest raisins we have ever tasted. In addition to this, there are amazing historical sites. The ancient Buddhist shrines of Bezeklik, built in caves, are so beautiful that European travelers cut paintings from them a century ago to exhibit them in their museums. You can find these caves in the valley below the Flaming Mountains, whose red sandstone slopes can reach temperatures of 70–80 °C in the summer. It is the extremely dry climate that has helped preserve the murals for over a thousand years.
It has also helped preserve the remains of a significant oasis city on the southern Silk Road, Jihaohe (Uyghur: Yarghul), a cultural bridge between India, China, and Central Asia, which is now part of a complex UNESCO project encompassing 33 sites in China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Modern, dynamic cities are also a draw, with the aforementioned Urumqi, with its four million inhabitants, leading the way. In addition to this, there are several high-tech attractions, such as hybrid, futuristic power plants: towers surrounded by rings of mirrors, where energy is stored in the form of heat in molten salt and can be supplied after dark, when conventional solar panels "fail." There is also a continuous gastronomic festival of cuisines from dozens of ethnic groups; a vibrant folk world of music and dance that is everywhere; and guaranteed attractions such as the Urumqi Grand Bazaar. You can be sure that you will have a life-changing travel experience.
photo: The Bezeklik Buddhist shrines from the 5th century AD.
Silk Road to Rome
Because it is impossible to describe all the interesting sights and tourist attractions in one article, we have decided to prepare a series of articles. In the first part, we will take a closer look at where the Uyghurs came from and what is interesting about them. The Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang occupies one-sixth of China's territory, and is approximately the same size as Iran, but is home to only 26 million people. It borders Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. This region has historically been of great importance, as it was traversed by the Silk Road, along which sought-after goods were transported all the way to ancient Rome. Along with spices, jade, and other precious materials, the region also saw the flow of ideas, technologies, and knowledge.
The oldest material evidence of Chinese presence dates back to the 1st century AD; from the 3rd century, many well-preserved remains of Chinese nobility have been found, which were helped to be preserved by the dry climate, along with rich finds of documents. All of this was discovered in the Astana necropolis (not to be confused with the capital of Kazakhstan).
photo: Ruins of the ancient Jiahoe clay city.
Internal Development under the Qing Dynasty
In the modern era, another important chapter in the region's history began in the 17th century under the Qing dynasty. While the previous Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is known in our country for its diplomatic missions to the West, where it sent huge fleets of ships whose technological innovations Europeans were only able to invent a century later, its successor focused more on the development of internal regions.
The Manchu Qing dynasty (1644–1911) was the last of three non-Chinese dynasties that came to the imperial court from outside, usually through military force. Historians cite reasons why Chinese emperors were unable to defend themselves against these invasions, including the fact that they applied Confucian ethics too dogmatically, which did not favor militarism. They underestimated the need to build a sufficient army against strong neighbors, to the point where they did not even fully utilize their own revolutionary invention - gunpowder.
The rulers of the Qing dynasty had a weakness for the border western regions, because the Manchus themselves came from inland territories. They were not interested in the sea, but rather in the steppes and plains, where they felt at home. Fearing the possible strengthening of the influence of the Mongols, who could easily control their Uyghur counterparts, the emperors of the Qing dynasty sought to promote the overall development of the region and its integration.
photo: A miniature of a three-legged ritual vessel made of Xinjiang jade inspired architects in the design of a modern building in Urumqi.
Water is life
This marked the beginning of a systematic construction of an underground irrigation system. The channels that brought water from the mountains, known as karezes, are partially functional to this day and are accessible to tourists. The irrigation of a vast territory dramatically changed the character of the region: on the map of China, a rich region producing a wide range of agricultural products gradually emerged.
During their reign, the foundation was laid for a future increase in population, from a historically stable approximately 150 million to approximately 450 million at the peak of their era. How did they achieve this? Through long-term internal peace and stability, supported by, for example, successful tax reforms, but above all, through the massive cultivation of various regions. The Uyghur region can be seen as a prime example. This could be continued by introducing southern varieties of rice, which are harvested twice a year, and imported crops, especially sweet potatoes, which thrive even in sandy soils in the west. Nutritionally rich sweet potatoes became an important part of the diet of the inhabitants, as did another novelty, corn.
Religious pluralism
The active Manchu emperors paid great attention to the harmony of the state and society, which they used to legitimize their rule (the traditional "Mandate of Heaven"). They understood that the best way to coexist with people of different faiths was through cooperation, not confrontation. Therefore, they accepted a Jesuit mission into their court, which became a center for cultural and scientific exchange with the West, and even drafted and negotiated international treaties for the emperor. That is why the emperor accepted the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church, and why he supported Islam in the western border region and Lamaism in Inner Mongolia. He also did not hinder the development of Uyghur literature. Incidentally, the Uyghurs use, and still use today, a unique script derived from Arabic (which their western relatives gradually abandoned in favor of the Latin alphabet or a modified Cyrillic). Religious pluralism is also a strategy of the current leadership of the country.
photo: The shadow of the ubiquitous grapevine invites relaxation.
Xinjiang Today
Let's move 400 years into the future, to our present day. As during the Qing dynasty, agriculture remains one of the pillars of Xinjiang's economy. It is largely organic. In addition, there is viticulture, family farms, and larger private agricultural companies, which have emerged from transforming the desert into a fertile agricultural landscape. There are also complexes of giant greenhouses with more than 800 units, which we will discuss in more detail in some of the subsequent parts of the series.
Furthermore, there is renewable energy and the development of electric vehicle production, in which China has become a dominant global leader. Dozens of Chinese brands are testing their vehicles for durability in extreme climatic conditions here. Where else can you test electric car prototypes at temperatures above 45 degrees or minus 30? Finally, there is inbound tourism, which is experiencing a huge boom, as more and more people want to experience this fantastic "fusion" of Turkic-Islamic culture with Chinese civilization. At the end of the first part, it should be noted that the local version of Islam is among the most moderate. The local faith is cultivated by a modern Islamic center in Urumqi for 1,000 students, in whose campus, opened in 2017, we also met women among the employees.
photo: New districts of Urumqi are growing where there was a desert just two years ago.
Moderate Islam
There is no segregation or inequality between men and women (mainly because Chinese secular law naturally takes precedence over religious rules). Local women enjoy complete freedom of dress: some wear scarves in accordance with ethnic and religious traditions, while others choose modern styles of clothing. At many events, couples dance, and believe me, the Uyghurs are quite good at it. Their weddings are famous. In the next part, we will take a closer look at local traditions. You can look forward to ancient crafts, clothing, cuisine, and we will visit a traditional Uyghur house, built in a clever way to be cool in summer, with courtyards where community life took place and still takes place in many places. And watch out – we're also going to watch a Uyghur football league match!
photo: Prayer room in the campus of the Islamic Institute in Urumqi
Jan Šlégl