The food in Xinjiang

As a participant in the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Program, I had just finished the first half of a nine-week, intensive summer language program in Suzhou, China, and, along with about 20 other participants, was off to Xinjiang, China.

On Saturday, July 4, 2009, our group arrived in Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang. Immediately, I noted the cultural diversity of the Uyghur heritage fused with the modern Han Chinese culture. As we were greeted by traditional Uyghur music and dance, the ambience was peaceful. Little did I know that a few hours into the next day, Xinjiang would experience one of its largest upheavals in 50 years.

The next morning, making our way toward the Pakistani border, our group was deterred from proceeding further. We were informed that a riot had taken place in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Officials mentioned that Urumqi was left with over 100 people dead and several injured, but no details were ever elucidated. The city was barricaded and all of Xinjiang was put under martial law. The moment we were informed of the “7-5” incident, as it is known, we took it lightly, until hundreds of soldiers tightly packed in tanks and other vehicles surrounded our bus while traveling on the road. The sight of soldiers, guns, and tanks quickly became a custom of our travel in Xinjiang.

For the next week, our travel plans were altered many times, often hourly. The Chinese government imposed many restrictions on which areas we could enter and even how fast we could travel to and from them. Our tour guide’s plans were closely monitored and our location was always known. Our actions were so closely monitored that oftentimes we were only allowed to enter a city to eat at a preselected restaurant before immediately exiting the city.

In addition, all communication was cut off for common people, including landlines, cell phones, and Internet access. Occasionally we could receive phone calls, and luckily I was able to tell my family I was safe.

On July 7, we arrived in Aksu and ate at a restaurant that was hosting a Uyghur wedding. We had the privilege of being invited to dance with the bride and groom. For a few hours, the warm invitation and the atmosphere of the wedding allowed us to actually enjoy Xinjiang’s culture. However, that warm feeling did not last. That night, from the eighth floor of our hotel, my roommate and I heard screams and sounds that seemed like gunshots. In the early morning, I woke up to battalions of soldiers marching with machine guns. After eating breakfast, our tour guide informed us a riot had taken place a few streets away from our hotel. Security in Xinjiang was even tighter, and soldiers from all of China were sent to Xinjiang in large numbers.

On July 11, in preparation for our return to Suzhou, we arrived back in Urumqi. However, as opposed to our previous days in Xinjiang, we were welcomed. The Xinjiang Department of Tourism upgraded us to the best resort in Urumqi. Upon arriving, we were greeted by masses of television reporters anxious to interview us. The entire staff of the resort lined up to greet us, gifts were waiting in our rooms, and the Minister of Tourism was ready to shake our hands. His first words were, “Tourism in Xinjiang has been restored!” Many pictures were taken, flowers were given to us, and many of us, myself included, were interviewed. Later, we were pampered with a delicious dinner and were even joined by the Minister of Tourism. He presented the best wine in Xinjiang and made a toast. This treatment was nothing like what we had received during the rest of our stay.

Once back in Suzhou, we saw on CCTV, China Central Television, the interviews that took place on July 11. After much editing, the interviews portrayed peace among the people in Xinjiang. The questions that were asked—such as “What do you think of the food in Xinjiang?”—and their answers were altered to illustrate our stay as one not affected by martial law and to show that Xinjiang had been restored to the peace it had before the “7-5” incident. It was obvious that we had been bribed and used as propaganda puppets.

After nine weeks in China, nine days under martial law, and one misused interview, I decided bring this experience to my academic life. I am currently researching my new thesis topic: “The Media Portrayal of the Xinjiang ‘7-5’ Incident Through CCTV.” During our stay in Xinjiang, we only knew what the government would tell us via our tour guide and CCTV. I will study the media tactics of CCTV in comparison to what I saw and in comparison to what I experienced.