1 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. 2 MAP OF XINJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA ............................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 1 PROFILE ................................................................................................................ 6 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................... 6 AREA ............................................................................................................................................... 7 GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS AND TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES ........................................................... 7 NORTHERN HIGHLANDS .................................................................................................................. 7 JUNGGAR (DZUNGARIAN) BASIN ..................................................................................................... 8 TIEN SHAN ....................................................................................................................................... 8 TARIM BASIN ................................................................................................................................... 9 SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS .................................................................................................................. 9 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................................... 10 RIVERS AND LAKES ...................................................................................................................... 11 MAJOR CITIES .............................................................................................................................. 12 URUMQI (URUMCHI) ...................................................................................................................... 12 YINING (GHULJA) .......................................................................................................................... 12 TURPAN (TURFAN) ........................................................................................................................ 13 KASHGAR (KASHI) ......................................................................................................................... 14 HOTAN (KHOTAN) ......................................................................................................................... 14 HISTORY ....................................................................................................................................... 15 EARLY HISTORY AND PEOPLES ..................................................................................................... 15 THE UIGHURS ................................................................................................................................ 16 MONGOL POWERS.......................................................................................................................... 17 THE QING DYNASTY ...................................................................................................................... 18 WARLORDS, UNREST, AND FLEETING INDEPENDENCE ................................................................. 19 XINJIANG UNDER THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA .................................................................. 19 UNREST AND DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................ 21 ECONOMY ..................................................................................................................................... 23 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................... 23 INDUSTRY ...................................................................................................................................... 24 GOVERNMENT .............................................................................................................................. 25 MEDIA ........................................................................................................................................... 26 ETHNIC GROUPS ........................................................................................................................... 27 LANGUAGES .................................................................................................................................. 28 PROFILE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 2: RELIGION .......................................................................................................... 30 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 30 ISLAM IN XINJIANG ...................................................................................................................... 31 SUFISM ........................................................................................................................................... 32 2 FOLK PRACTICES ........................................................................................................................... 33 RELIGION AND THE STATE .......................................................................................................... 34 NATIONAL POLICY ......................................................................................................................... 34 XINJIANG’S RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND ......................................................................................... 34 REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON ISLAM IN XINJIANG .......................................................... 35 ISLAM IN DAILY LIFE ................................................................................................................... 37 RELIGIOUS EVENTS AND HOLIDAYS ........................................................................................... 38 RAMADAN ...................................................................................................................................... 38 ROZI HEYT (EID AL FITR) .............................................................................................................. 39 QURBAN HEYT (EID AL ADHA) ..................................................................................................... 39 PLACES OF WORSHIP ................................................................................................................... 40 BEHAVIOR IN PLACES OF WORSHIP ........................................................................................... 41 RELIGION ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 3: TRADITIONS ..................................................................................................... 43 HONOR, VALUES, AND TRADITIONS ............................................................................................ 43 GENDER ROLES AND RELATIONS ................................................................................................ 44 DIVISION OF LABOR ....................................................................................................................... 44 GREETINGS AND COMMUNICATION ............................................................................................ 45 HOSPITALITY AND GIFT-GIVING ................................................................................................ 48 DINING HABITS ............................................................................................................................. 49 FOOD AND DRINK ......................................................................................................................... 51 DIETARY CUSTOMS ....................................................................................................................... 51 CUISINE .......................................................................................................................................... 51 TRADITIONAL DRESS ................................................................................................................... 53 NON-RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS ........................................................................................................ 54 NOWRUZ (NAUROOZ) .................................................................................................................... 54 DO’S AND DON’TS ......................................................................................................................... 55 TRADITIONS ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................. 56 CHAPTER 4: URBAN LIFE ...................................................................................................... 57 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 57 URBAN CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................... 58 ETHNIC COMPOSITION 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