Baked to perfection

By Alexis Hooi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-23 10:30

A local Uygur family harvests mulberry.

"Young people would rather work in the cities than continue this traditional but treacherous system. The canal ceilings can topple and bury workers anytime," says 46-year-old farmer Alimanti.

That is also why tourism, apart from agriculture, remains a major source of income for many Turpan people.

Cabbie Wusiman Awatoli says the global financial crisis and H1N1 outbreak have hit Turpan hard, with tourist arrivals dropping more than 60 percent compared with last year. The recent violence in the regional capital of Urumqi also does not bode well for the peak travel season this year.

Authorities have already estimated that the tourism sector lost 1 billion yuan ($146 million) in revenue after this month's unrest.

"Times are tough for people like us who rely on tourism," says Awatoli, a devout Muslim and member of the Uygur ethnic group that is the largest of the 47 minority groups in Xinjiang.

"But the attractions here still hold some weight for those who are looking for a piece of history in the outer reaches of Chinese civilization."

To that effect, the Jiaohe Ruins on the outskirts of Turpan is one of many ancient cities in the area that allow travelers to imagine what life was like when this oasis replenished trade caravans navigating the unforgiving deserts.

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