Faces of Xinjiang!

I was trying to put together a "harvest" themed post, but the only nice pictures I have found so far were of the 2006 "Fragrant pear harvest in Xinjiang", as the very Chinese title at peopledaily.com.cn says ...

But then, I came across the Flickr photostream of uninvolved observer, and most particularly his photos from travelling in Xinjiang. As opposed to far too many other male photographers, he doesn't seem to have that much inhibitions against making and even publishing photos of attractive males. Yay!

Click the photos to go to Flickr and see them bigger (and I mean really big) ...

"take my photo" (in Uyghur)
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer

proud
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer
(There are several more photos of this guy - just click the photos to go see them.)

everyone in Xinjiang is photogenic
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer

cute couple
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer

c-o-o-l
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer

Final bonus:

the latest craze: Kazakh yurt porn!
Originally uploaded by uninvolved observer
"the owner of my yurt reclines seductively while we're discussing the price - Hanas Lake (near the Kazakh, Russian, and Mogolian borders) Xinjiang, China"

Another chirayliq uighur

This young man works at a grill in Shanghai, China.

"Uighur at his fancy grill" by meanjean

"Uighurs" by meanjean

Uighurs selling traditional sweet snacks

Uighurs can certainly be found not only in Xinjiang, but all over China and neighbouring countries. Some of them are street vendors or have restaurants. Having studied "the Uighur look" now, I think the indescribably handsome shashlyk-maker I ogled at a grill in Ulaan Bator could very well have been Uighur. (He was dressed in all black and standing at the steaming grill outside in the blistering summer heat, acting all cool and friendly and efficient. Of course, I was once again much too nervous and embarrassed to interview him or ask him to let me take his picture ...)

In Chinese cities, it seems there are quite many Uighur street vendors who sell a kind of traditional sweet cake with nuts and fruit. I found some pictures of it on Flickr:


In Shanghai - by MFinChina. She writes: "A bunch of guys from Xinjiang and their nutloaf. Another person commended me for being brave enough to take their picture -- these guys have a reputation for being tough and harassing lone women (which I have experienced myself), although the Uighur guys who sell meat-on-a-stick near my house are all nice."


In Tianjin - by Matthew J. Stinson.

Samer! has another picture of an Uighur and his loaf, this time from Beijing.

If anyone who happens to read this knows more about these "fruit cakes" or "nut loaves", do tell! They look really tasty. I'd like to go to China just to try this ...

Uighurs in Xinjian

The Uighurs, from whose language the title of this blog stems, are one of the many minorities in China. There are some movements of Uighur separatism and/or Chinese repression against their culture.

Each of these two boys will definitely grow up to be a "chirayliq yigit", handsome young man.


(Photo from AFP via uygur.org)