Expat life in Urumqi and Xinjiang

[komoroka]

Does anyone have experience living in Urumqi? What sort of life can an an American expat expect?

Was there noticeable tension between the Han and Uyghur communities? I speak decent Chinese now and will be learning Uyghur while there. I am a bit concerned I might become enconced within one group at the expense of the other. Is this a realistic possibility?

Any information or experience would be greatly appreciated.

[Long Pan]

I spent 4 days in Urumqi last month, part of my touristic trip in Xinjiang. As most Chinese big cities the first impression is not be the best, but after walking around, discovering the different centers of this huge city, I really liked it. It is mainly a Chinese city; you do not have there as many Uyghur as in south Xinjiang (like Kashgar); there are also other minorities like the Kazaks. The Remin Park in the center of the city is a very pleasant place with Chinese people dancing morning and evening on Uyghur music. The hongshan park is also a good place to relax, especially at sun set, with a view on the Tianshan mountains in the south. The muslim area is perfect for food at night. Urumqi is also a convinient location to spend the weekend in the Tianshan mountains.

[芳芳]

Hello!

Have you found a job overthere?

When my Z visa will be done (it was to be done last month) I will go to work in Urumqi for a few years for a local compagny in wind energy (it's the compagny which designs and manufactures the lovely windturbines you can see along the road between Urumqi and Turpan). I'm like you, my chinese is ok and I intend to learn some uyghur.

Last june I spent 10 days in Urumqi to pass interviews for this compagny and to visit the city and surroudings.

Surroundings: 10/10, the country side is very nice, and the city is not so big so that you can rather easily go out of it quite quickly (well, compared to Beijing where I had spent some time before). You can easily go hiking in the Tianshan mountains ( looks like Switzerland, except when you meet a camel instead of the expected milka purple cow and a yourte in place of the wooden chalet), go to the heavenly lake, go to the grasslands, go skiing in winter, or take a few days to visit the cities on the silk road which passed south Urumqi (Turpan is 4h bus away, Kashgar 20h by train).

The city itself: well, objectively, uggly at first sight, but then really engaging. The skyline in the center is not bad at all, with the snowcaped mountains in background (highest peak is about 5500 meters - sorry 18000 feet high). The city doesn't have ancient historical building like in Beijing, which for me is very important. So the interest in architecture is mainly in some russian style buildings from the 19th I think, and the mosques. Sometimes, you find an old house at the bend of a street. Urumqi is more charming for it's people.

The life in the streets in the center, especially in the uyghur part is very enjoyable. I really like the multicultural environment of Urumqi, the different languages you can hear, the different scripts on the signs (chinese, cyrilllic and arabic). I don't feel as stranger as in "Chinese" China, I am usually taken for a Russian, sometime for a Uyghur.

If you like lamb barbecue, then Xinjiang is a paradise for you, but you can find any kind of food (from KFC to Shaanxi liangpi'r). Same for shopping, you can find everything in the cheap markets as well as in the 2 Carrefour (sounds comforting for the French I am, even if it's a chinese style carrefour of course. Not that I really need those Carrefour actually, but if I can find some baguette every 3 month when I miss it, why not).

I haven't tried the nightlife (well, clubs) yet, not so much my cup of tea anyway but I was told by other foreigners working in the compagny it was "an experience". Maybe they just said that as they would have said about clubs in any city in China. Anyway I was there in summertime so of course streets where very lifely, you have nightmarkets where you can eat and shop and all.

To tell you the truth, when looking for a job in China, I was at first more interested in a bigger city on the east coast (from Beijing to Hong Kong), but when I came to Urumqi I changed my mind, and thought about the opportunity I had to live in "China but not only China", along the silk road, in an extreme region of mountains, deserts and grasslands, with the opportunity to meet nomads. The job I was offered look very intersting as well, as I wanted to work in renewable energy but as this is not my major, it was difficult for me to be employed by a big french compagny, and probably not as interesting as living in a chinese compagny.

Tensions between Han and Uyghurs do exists, you often notice prejudices against the other community when talking with people (not always), the communities don't really mix, and Uyghurs don't really get the best jobs (no Uyghur in the compagny I will work for). As a foreigner, you are welcomed by every group (I had a touching Uyghur taxi driver who asked me if it was ok for me that he was Uyghur, as he was afraid I had heard so many bad things about Uyghurs I wouldn't want to have him for driver). If you already speak good mandarin, you can communicate with a lot of people already (elder Uyghurs don't all speak mandarin, but young Uyghurs do -in Urumqi at least), and being willing to learn Uyghur language should be much appreciated by Uyghurs and help a lot to make contact (much like chinese people are so happy to hear a foreigner speak chinese).

Voilà, this is all I could think of but if you have more specific questions (or if I was totaly out of the subject) don't hesitate. Please also note that I have a rather optimistic and enthousiastic nature, so did I depict Urumqi as a nice place whereas others would just have cried "don't go, don't gooo!".

Besides, I know an american girl working also for the wind energy compagny for 8 month now who is still alive and happy.

[komoroka]

Thanks for your insight Fang Fang:

I will be doing research out there on China's western developemnt policy and trade along with simultaneoulsly studying Uyghur for about a year beginning in december.

I did travel to Urumqi several years ago and generally had a good impression then. It's good to hear that you can put together a decent lifestyle there. I definitely can't wait to see turpan and heavenly lake again.

I hope we could be in contact when I get out there (I am in Harbin now).

[芳芳]

Yaxshimusiz overthere!

So, how are your plans to come to Urumqi doing? I've been here for 2 month now and i love it, i think i will stay there a couple of years as the region is very promising, the life easy (i'm easy going anyway) and the job pretty cool.

cheers!

[bebezkidz]

Hi 芳芳, or anyone else working on wind energy projects in Urumqi,

I've been back home in Seattle for the past 2 years, working as a technical analyst in a wind energy consulting firm. I'm looking to get back to China sometime in the future. What are the job prospects for foreigners in the wind industry in Urumqi (or in other cities if you know)? I'm not an engineer, just have lots of experience with wind data and wind farm suitability studies.

Thanks!

[redfoot21]

Hey guys,

I'm a Chinese who grew up in Hong Kong, but studying in America, yet I speak fluent English and am very western in my ways, so im sorta like an ABC american born chinese. I plan to travel to Xinjiang/East Turkestan, but do you think I'm gonna be facing alot of tension there, even though I am foreign? If Uyghurs knew I speak English and am not from the PRC, would I be receiving any different treatment? I'm dying to know. Thank you.

God bless.

[jobin]

I traveled around XJ six weeks one summer and found that the most interesting places were those with the fewest Han. So Hotan, Kashgar and others to the west and south appealed more to me. I am white american with blue eyes and how the waitress girls did stare! Some of the braver girls even rubbed the hair on my arm. Most Han men have generally little body hair. Folks very nice, food a bit oily and i don't eat much sheep meat but no problem really. Of course, for the Uighurs the religion is important. Sure the Han have the RMB which substitutes for ethics and moral certainty but in some respects the Holy Book, even if different from yours, is some kind of island of refuge. I recommend this recent book review of the Uighurs and their plight in Han China.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/books/23fren.html?_r=1&ref=books

Their situation is not unlike the problems of the folks who live to the near south, also have a non-RMB religion, and are being slowly crushed by the relentless parade of migrants and police who could care less. If i could i would choose to live in Hotan for a few years as i like the weather, atmosphere, big rivers flowing from the snowy peaks and different way of life, kinds laid back on the earth. I am no big fan of chinese cities. Enjoy your visit and go with open eyes and spirit.

Edited April 24, 2009 at 06:58 AM by roddy