The Dream of Han Innocence & “Nomad Sedentarization” of Xinjiang’s Kazakhs

Guldana Salimjan, a Kazakh born and raised in China, reviews the popular Chinese TV mini-series “To the Wonder," (我的阿尔泰) literally "My Altai," inspired by Li Juan's writing: Ta-Nehisi Coates [Afro-American author] explains how literary works, public monuments, and eventually movies reinforced the pernicious myth of white supremacy and innocence in the long aftermath of the … Continue reading The Dream of Han Innocence & “Nomad Sedentarization” of Xinjiang’s Kazakhs →

Rectification of Names: Uyghur Towns, Chinese Names

In China has renamed hundreds of Uyghur villages and towns, we learn of the latest policy in the campaign to make Xinjiang look and feel like mainstream, Han-dominated China: Hundreds of Uyghur villages and towns have been renamed by Chinese authorities to remove religious or cultural references, with many replaced by names reflecting Communist party … Continue reading Rectification of Names: Uyghur Towns, Chinese Names →

Movie Review: Focus on the Endangered “Nikah” Uyghur Wedding Rite

In ‘Nikah’: An astonishing portrait of Uyghur life on the edge of erasure, Darren Byler introduces a film about a traditional Uyghur wedding rite that has been banned in Xinjiang: The story on the surface is a simple one. Two daughters in their twenties, Dilber and Rena, are caught between their own ambitions — careers, … Continue reading Movie Review: Focus on the Endangered “Nikah” Uyghur Wedding Rite →

Disappeared in Xinjiang: Uyghur Ethnographer Rahile Dawut

In A Disappearance in Xinjiang, Financial Times' Edward White profiles Uyghur female ethnographer Rahile Dawut, who disappeared into China's Xinjiang Gulag in 2017: Rahile’s life was devoted to the preservation of cultural diversity across the vast Xinjiang region, nearly three times the size of France and covering about one-sixth of modern China. For centuries, ancient Silk … Continue reading Disappeared in Xinjiang: Uyghur Ethnographer Rahile Dawut →

Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading Now — “La Légende du Chaman”

Le chamanisme a été interdit en Mongolie durant la période socialiste au même titre que l’écriture et les costumes traditionnels. Il était alors perçu comme une pratique arriérée, néfaste et manipulatrice. Quand j'ai lu La Légende du Chaman pour la première fois au tournant des années 2010, il connaissait un regain d'intérêt important dans un … Continue reading Ethnic ChinaLit: What We’re Reading Now — “La Légende du Chaman” →

新疆回头看 — Xinjiang’s Ominous “Looking Back Project”

Uyghur poet's memoir recalls the Xinjiang administration's retrospective hunt for unPC content in textbooks once commissioned, edited and published by the state: Following the Urumchi incident in 2009, the regional government had initiated the Looking Back Project (新疆回头看). The Propaganda Department organized special groups to go over Uyghur-language books, newspapers, journals, films, television shows, and … Continue reading 新疆回头看 — Xinjiang’s Ominous “Looking Back Project” →

“Tamgagui Tur”: Mongolian Theatrical Production Abruptly Cancelled in China

After completing a record-breaking 151 sell-out performances at the Mongolian State Academic Theatre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, a planned run of performances in Inner Mongolia's Hohhot were abruptly cancelled by the Chinese authorities in September 2023. Not to be deterred, the stage production, entitled The Mongol Khan for British audiences, began a two–week run at the … Continue reading “Tamgagui Tur”: Mongolian Theatrical Production Abruptly Cancelled in China →

Uyghur Film-maker Who Studied in Turkey Prosecuted in China

In Uyghur film-maker claims he was tortured by authorities in China, the Guardian reports that Ikram Nurmehmet, a director known for his Uyghur protagonists in films such as The Elephant in the Car, recently had his day in court in Ürümqi: “I was held in a dark room for 20 days and physically tortured,” Nurmehmet reportedly said during the … Continue reading Uyghur Film-maker Who Studied in Turkey Prosecuted in China →

France Offers Fresh Look at Genghis Khan and the Mongols

The desire of the Chinese authorities to control the narrative regarding its borderland peoples has been dealt a blow with the opening of the exhibition, Genghis Khan: Comment les Mongols ont changé le monde at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne in Nantes, France. In Blockbuster show on Genghis Khan opens in France after row with China, the Guardian reports: … Continue reading France Offers Fresh Look at Genghis Khan and the Mongols →

Uyghur Cineast Mukaddis Mijit on her new film, “Nikah”

. . . il existait par exemple de très nombreux lieux sacrés qui, d’un village à l’autre et même au fin fond des montagnes, constituaient une sorte de réseau spirituel. Des lieux importants pour les femmes qui, dans cette société patriarcale, pouvaient s’y retrouver – pour demander un enfant, résoudre un conflit, etc. J’ai voulu … Continue reading Uyghur Cineast Mukaddis Mijit on her new film, “Nikah” →