The Uyghur hostess had cooked up a table of delicious food and treated me with incomparable hospitality. First we were served tea and fruit, as is the local tradition. We sat on large cushions on the floor, enjoying Uyghur cuisine, and asking questions about the local culture. We wiled the night away, chatting and sharing each other’s stories. The people would dance and sing rousing Sufi music and tell anecdotes about events in the village. I felt so lucky to be part of this world so different from where I had grown-up in Pakistan. I was in awe with this small village where I had learned to appreciate a way of life foreign to myself.

Living in this village near Turpan was fulfilling. I learned about farming melons and grapes. The area is home to many different types of raisins, all with different uses that I learned about in my time there. The people there also raised goats and cattle, which are staples of their diet. There was so much more to farming than I could ever have imagined. I learned how to connect with others on a more personal level. For example, I knew all the delicate details of people’s lives, as is common in small villages. I could discuss the planting season with the local farmers.

The Uyghur are a Muslim ethnic minority group of China, in an area once known as East Turkestan. Their traditions are very old and embedded in their way of life. I learned many of these traditions while living with them. Uyghur people continue to wear the intricately designed traditional clothes and speak their own language. They also have many special types of bread which they make fresh everyday by hand. I was a guest at a Uyghur wedding, which is a festive affair that lasts for days. I even learned the dance that the local men use when proposing to their bride-to-be.

The village life at first seemed harsh to me. For example, traditionally the women must remain separated from the men, even eating in another room. The people there still use donkeys and mules as a mode of transportation because the landscape of the area makes it difficult to build more modern systems. Young adults are leaving the village to earn a living, leaving behind the elderly and young children, causing severe poverty. Because of these things, I first came to the village with a “savior complex,” thinking I had to help them modernize.

Actually, it was me who had the lessons to learn. The village gave me the gifts of fresh mountain water and air lacking in many places I have traveled, and breathtaking early morning treks. Because modern transportation was limited in the village, I got more exercise walking and my health improved. Living away from the toxic fumes of buses and cars made my lungs healthier. After visiting the village, I realized that I wanted to help preserve and honor Uyghur culture, rather than ruining it with modern problems. 

Because people in villages are often uneducated and suspicious of change, it has been challenging for the Chinese government to bring modern conveniences to these people that would make life easier for them. Bringing the Uyghur culture to more people could mean getting some social welfare initiatives started in this poverty stricken area, such as building a water supply, and improving transportation so that their trade could increase. Many other ethnic groups in remote areas share the same set of problems regarding education and transportation. I am thinking of making a short documentary on daily life in various Chinese villages to show the variety of cultures, arts and traditions, which I hope will garner interest in learning more about these people and their particular situations.

It is easy for people in the city to look down upon village people. We tend to think of them as ignorant, backward, and in need of our help. Actually, though, cultures like theirs can help us reconnect with each other in these hurried modern times, because we can see the value they place on family and traditions. During my time in the village, I learned that there is beauty in diversity. After I experienced this village life it became important for me to travel around China and learn what I may from the many cultures here.

In China, there are 56 ethnic groups, who practice diverse religions and ways of living. I have had the opportunity to meet many people from different groups, such as Han, Hui, Zhuang, Mongol and Tibetan.  Every time I meet someone who seems to be from a different ethnic culture, I question them about their lives and ideas. China has so many different cultures brought together to create one strong nation. The longer I stay in China the more I realize there is so much more to learn about Chinese people.