Uyghuristan
On the way to the North-West I met a Turkish fellow-traveller heading in the same direction, to the Turkish speaking people living there. Traveling by train we scouted the platforms at every station we stopped for mustached men to check if they were speaking Turkish.
When we finally met some, it was nice to suddenly be able to communicate, for at the time finding a Chinese speaking English was like looking for a needle in a hay stack.
The Uyghurs asked us at the time already to publicize in the west their plight, as they were inundated by Han Chinese, many sent to the area as a form of punishment. "They are like ants, one alone just gives you a small itch, but they are suffocating us with their numbers" said the leader of an Uyghur dance group. They would only talk about this in a secure place, where no Chinese could see us having a conversation.
When we finally met some, it was nice to suddenly be able to communicate, for at the time finding a Chinese speaking English was like looking for a needle in a hay stack.
The Uyghurs asked us at the time already to publicize in the west their plight, as they were inundated by Han Chinese, many sent to the area as a form of punishment. "They are like ants, one alone just gives you a small itch, but they are suffocating us with their numbers" said the leader of an Uyghur dance group. They would only talk about this in a secure place, where no Chinese could see us having a conversation.
The first Uyghurs we met, traveling to the NW of China
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With Turkish fellow-traveller waiting for the bus in the Uyghuristan desert
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Waiting for the train with pa
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Praying faced to Mekka along the road to Turphan
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The Emin minaret from 1778, just outside Turphan
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Tomb at the Emin minaret with ceremonial objects
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