The Music of China's Nomads - Part 2: Yining, the Frontier Land

The Music of China's Nomads - Part 2: Yining, the Frontier Land Video Clips. Duration : 6.03 Mins.

Heading west out of Urumqi, buses speed along a newly paved highway littered with Sinopec gas stations, and head straight out into the wide open spaces of Xinjiangs northern frontier area. The modern and well-maintained transportation network in these far-flung regions of China is not only a clear measure of Chinas rapid economic growth, but also an indicator of Beijings determination to develop and keep a firm grip on its Western regions. Striving to bolster Xinjiangs economic development potential, deflect social and political unrest and increase trade with Central Asias markets, China has not only built up local infrastructure, but is also involved in constructing roads in neighboring states, including the Dushanbe-Khojand highway project in Tajikistan. These gleaming new roads comfortably lead west out of Urumqi towards Yining, the capital of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Yining lies on Chinas most western edge, a mere 100 kilometers from Kazakhstans border. The Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is the largest Kazakh region in China. According to the 2000 census the prefecture covers almost 300000 square kilometers and is home to 4.08 million people, a quarter of whom are Kazakh. The same 2000 census showed that 45 percent of Ili Prefecture residents are Han Chinese, while 16 percent are Uighur. Ili River Basin is one of the most prosperous regions of Xinjiang Province -- endowed with rich mineral deposits, abundant water supplies, and fertile agricultural land ...

Keywords: china, xinjiang province, urumqi, uighur, kazakh, kyrgyz, ethnic, minority, han, nomadic, music, turkic language, muslim, islam, dombra instrument, doombra, Eurasia, Net