Hello,
Since Bishkek, already almost at the end of our stay in Kyrgyzstan, I can speak with some delay the Uighurs.
The Uighurs are from Mongolia. They put an end to the domination of the Tang Dynasty in Xinjiang in the 11th and 12th century. Only in the 14th century that Islam penetrated in the region. Han Chinese presence does not date from the 20th century. I will not dwell on history, you can go for example on Wikipedia! After a short first first Republic of East Turkestan in 1933-1934, the 2d Republic of East Turkestan, Soviet satellite, remained independent 5years. It was formally integrated into China in 1949 after its leaders have disappeared in a mysterious plane crash going to a meeting with Chinese President Mao Zedong ... After that, the Xinjiang region has served in exile during the Cultural Revolution and land for nuclear tests ...
Since China uses the petroleum resources of the Taklamakan desert, the interest in this area has developed. We encourage Hans to migrate in this region. They pay no tax and revenue benefits. The growing presence of Han creates tensions with the Uighurs. The cities we crossed, at the northern desert have become very "Hans". Apart Turpan and Kuqa or there is a life and a significant Uighur neighborhood, we find very dilute Uighurs in other cities. Urumqi, for exmple, is a city now has 75% Han. Change is not only in terms of population, but also in terms of urbanization. The Chinese are the same as what they did at home by removing the Hutongs, the little old houses and replacing them with high-rise apartments. In town, there are still a large square with fountains. People come to watch the "spectacle" of the fountains which operate only at the end of the day, often accompanied by music. And then, what are the main avenues. My biggest shock was to see the demolition neighborhoods in the city of Kaxgar, mythical town in the history of the Silk Road. 2 million inhabitants were expelled. The statue of Mao and the square are somehow the separation between the city and the city Uygur Han "old". But the latter is becoming increasingly disabled in architecture. The houses are not falling apart and refurbished, ready to be demolished. Apparently, a neighborhood will be preserved for them to do sightseeing.
We talk about the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, but it's pretty ironic. The Uighurs do not have the freedom to choose what form of architecture will be rebuilt neighborhoods. Someone suggested the idea that China built long and wide avenues in place of the maze of streets and alleys that kinks because there was easier to control the population. This expands the visual field. I also learned that the Uighurs, like Tibetans, were not allowed to own a passport - no right to leave the country. This is one of the employees of the hostel Kaxgar, computer science student, who spoke to me. He wants to go to gain experience abroad, but it remains a dream. The only way is not guaranteed eventual move to another province, not an "autonomous region" to live there for 5 years that the address on the ID card is changed and then be able to apply for a passport. After 5 years, it is often Minutes have something in studies ... I consider this as a suppression of human rights. That does not hold the Uighurs has senior professional positions in the hierarchy ... A country like Cuba to Cubans leaving the experience abroad. but the strength has come back so that their expertise is not lost. The Uighurs can not even do this. If they fail to take some expertise, it is brought in Hans. That is how we found the majority Uighur minority in becoming the low ranks of society and minorities becoming majority Han in the high ranks.
Apart from that, has Kaxgar and only in this city, we saw almost every night of military trucks and police (I do no visual difference) moving on the main avenues. As if they were always prepared for demonstrations, they were seen sitting in trucks protected by their shields. Probably to impress ... While in all cities it is possible to request an extension of one month in China, it is not possible a Kaxgar only if you need a little more time to leave the country, as it is a city not far from the border with Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. If it is to extend our tourist season, we must make the request in another city, more to the east.
excepted cities, on our way, all the villages have remained almost entirely Uighur. Food was close to that now found in Central Asia. The writing is in Arabic, following the conversion to Islam of the Uighurs. In 1956, the Cyrillic alphabet was adopted in 1959 to secure it abandons the Latin alphabet. In 1981, the Chinese authorities decide on return to the Arabic script to meet the demands of elite Muslim Uighur. It seems that this is one reason why the Uyghurs have an easier time learning English than the Han. We met a lot more than Hans Uighurs speak English. The language is close to Turkish. It was in an area where we felt more at home as well in the rest of China. Besides a Kaxgar, there were Turkish products in the grocery Uighur. Nothing to do with grocery hans! The Uighurs are not subject to the policy of the Chinese birth rate. I think it is the same for all the autonomous regions for the survival of minorities. Some we spoke to have the right to have 2, others 3. other 4 children! Much has
wanders the streets of Kaxgar, but not only ca. We went to walk the animals on Sunday. Here are the sales and purchases of sheep, cows, bulls, goats, donkeys. There were also some who were too hot yaks and camels. This is an area very well on men. Women do not sell and do not buy animals, but are presented. We then went to the Grand Bazaar. I was wondering if I would find some flavors or a few images of old, the days of caravans. But no, not really. Here we find women buying fabrics to make their dresses or buying the equipment to school for the return to school approaching. There was very little food, little restaurants walking or products for sale. I do not know if it all the time like that or is it because it was during Ramadan.
Question Ramadan religion issue. I found this city more Muslim than the rest seen in Xinjiang. I saw women dressed in long black robe that covers their colorful clothes underneath. And they were never seen elsewhere, a brown scarf they posed directly on their heads to hide their faces - like a child playing with a towel and hiding underneath. That they sometimes lift. These women are generally rather old. Since it was Ramadan, the restaurants in the neighborhood were beginning to activate only starting from 19h. Whenever we came to nibble on the street, people could be as nonchalant as we look with malice. We tried then to do a little more attention. Maybe this city is becoming less religious over time and the increased presence of the Han. It was recommended a few years ago to have the arms and legs covered. This is the case now.
We could not prevent us to see what looked like a the Karakorum Highway and road leading from Kaxgar to travel to Islamabad in Pakistan. It passes through the Pamir mountain range and shows the peaks of 6000-7000m. We did not have enough time to climb by bike, we went by car. We went to Lake Kara-Kul 3600m for an overnight stay. He found there a village "autonomous" nomadic Kyrgyz. We bring everything to eat and sleep, but the Kyrgyz also offered hospitality in their yurts. We spent the early evening or Oceanne was delighted to play with a baby. The walk around the lake was of course magnificent. Check out the pictures! The next day we went up Tashkorgan, last town before Pakistan. It a city "autonomous" Tajik. We already felt the mix of people here. Our driver, and not Chinese Uighur, it was repeated several times, and also a Muslim, was arrested several times for prayer. As we did not break lunch was a picnic in the car. I felt uncomfortable, especially when a Tashkorgan, we stopped buying nans (breads round and almost flat) all hot and fresh that they were eating in front of him. Difficult to always be careful ... The Karakoram Highway, Chinese side is really very beautiful, especially when one goes to Pakistan. When one goes down, we find the landscape a lot more desert. It is very well maintained, paved, although there regularly landslides. The road passes in the valley sometimes very wide, but sometimes a cliff. The Chinese do not have cement walls and so there are landslides. The road is often blocked, but very quickly cleared. It was a very pleasant trip!
Kaxgar Back in, back to the hostel and we ended up to 15 cyclists. From never lived for most of us. Kaxgar has remained for us what it was once for merchant caravans, a large crossroads and meeting point. Some arrived from Pakistan via the Karakoram Highway, some came from Tajikistan via the Pamir Highway, some from Kyrgyzstan and a Japanese and we were the only ones to arrive from the east China. Most wanted to visit Tibet, and had followed our original itinerary. They all abandoned the idea of Tibet when he heard about greater restrictions. Until 2008, cyclists were able to slip through the cracks of checkpoints at the entrance of Tibet and then apply for a permit arrived in Lhasa. The cyclists will communicate the location of checkpoints to prevent or to go straight. Since the checkpoints are more severe, move, and even inside Tibet, the controls prevent movement. The only way to go by bike is to be accompanied by a guide at any time following you on the road and forces you to sleep at some places. This is the case for all of China for all motor vehicles. Those without a Chinese driver's license are not allowed to travel alone. We escape the rule ... Renouncing the idea of going to Tibet, the cyclists were in reflection for the rest of their journey. We were surprised not to encounter cyclists on the road north of the desert in Xinjiang (only 3 in the opposite direction and a Chinese from Lanzhou to Urumqi). When there is a choice of routes, it is understandable, but when there are just two, no. But then we realized why has Kaxgar. Finding the distance too great and little interest in the desert, the cyclists were all ready to "jump" by plane, train or bus this region. What a pity! They would know the Uighurs by Kaxgar. To each his own! Many of them had passed through Iran and gave us the idea in mind to go. We're trying a third time the visa application, this time with the help of an agency. Only 75% of persons holding passports from Commonwealth countries have a visa. To us the chance? ...
after all that, it was time for us to leave for Kyrgyzstan, among other reasons because our 3rd Chinese expansion was nearing its end, and also because it was more than a week we were at Kaxgar. There are many benefits. It was based in the desert as we wanted. Oceanne was still in contact with people other than us and it was positive for all three! From the east or west, for each of cyclists, it was long we had not taken such a long break. We included all. We all needed to stop pedaling, but after one week, everyone was talking about to leave! Friendly atmosphere. Hostelling International in the Uighur area. I highly recommend it!
We had to go to Bishkek, capital of Kirghyzistan to get our visa to Uzbekistan, that we did not have the patience to do in Beijing. So, we could not just going through the south. There are only 2 places to go from China to Kirghyzistan by the neck of Irkeshtam south and north Torugart Pass. For reasons such as "is the Chinese government," it is forbidden to circulate freely for non Kirghyzes and not for the Chinese crossing the border and not by Torugart Irkhestam. It is the same for Kunjerab, the neck is China-Pakistan border. The non-Chinese and non-Pakistanis are forced to board a bus to the border with Tashkorgan Pakistan. For Torugart is from a checkpoint Chinese, long before the actual border with Kirghyzistan, we can not circulate. But there is no bus, you must have a case for a transportation agency denies. Because we did not have time to go through Irkhestam (4 days of cycling since Kaxgar) and we had to quickly go to Bishkek for visas (we had decided to spend several days Kaxgar), we chooses Torugart. We're also told that Kaxgar Nour would go from Bishkek to Osh by bicycle to go to Uzbekistan and then so that we would not Irkhestam-Osh-Bishkek first in the other direction. China wanted to make sure we do not rest the neck at the border, it also requires us to ride in a vehicle on the Kyrgyz checkpoint until much further - in this sense China-Kirghyzistan. In the sense Kirghyzistan-China can move freely from the Kyrgyz side, but we must have a vehicle then the other side of the boundary of the chinese side. All this "no man's land" does not seem particularly to the point of banning freedom of movement for foreigners. But it is the Chinese government! Perhaps it is also better than that was before. China opens its borders! So we took a jeep from Kaxgar to the border. Denied the right to go further, another jeep waiting for us to go up in Naryn Kirghyzistan. We had to load our things 3 times on the roof of the jeep, once a Kaxgar, once at the first checkpoint because the Chinese wanted to see the contents of our bags, once in the neck at the border, but nothing kirghyze checkpoint when we brought things on their territory. Perhaps the Chinese do they work up to Laura? In total, we showed our passports 9 times, 6 times the chinese side including 3 at the same time the first post of duty, "the truth", and 3 times the odds kirghyze. The road is in very bad condition, mostly unpaved, even the chinese side, the "pros" of roads. Parties early in the morning Kaxgar, we arrived in very late after-noon to Naryn. Long day! The Chinese driver was not Muslim. We have made no arrest, no meals, no prayer, only the judgments of the checkpoints. The road itself is absolutely beautiful. This is not the channel that we crossed the Pamirs, but that of the Tian Shan. The side kirghyze, landscapes, mountains are all green. A big visual change very appreciable. North of the Tian Shan is green, the south is dry. North of the Pamir is dry, south (I have not been there), it's green. In short, China is dry and we have long seen! Even if it seemed strange to leave China after almost 4 months (I'm never stayed as long as a tourist in a country), we had become accustomed to surprises in store for us every day this country, was very happy arriving at Kirghyzistan. We felt it was good right away. Central Asia as it speaks to us geopolitically opened even if we had begun to discover in Xinjiang, and especially Kaxgar.
You can go see the photos directly on the picasa site:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/dorotheeetrupert
to see you soon Kirghyzistan more about that is about to leave!
Dorothee
0 comments:
Post a Comment