zhaoyun
05-13-2014, 02:57 AM
I know it’s a European forum but I was watching these documentaries, so I figured I’d share it as some of you may find interest in this.
A rare fact about me, I actually have a great deal of knowledge and experience with Chinese Muslim ethnicities. Maybe it’s because a significant part of my ancestry is from Shaanxi, one of the great origination points of the Silk Road and a region with a heavy Muslim population, my view on Chinese history and culture has always been less focused on East Asia, but rather towards China’s historic ties with Central Asia and westward towards the Middle East.
In these couple documentaries, they spend some time in Xi’an, one of the great historic capitals of China, and when I was there years ago, the old city was truly an enchanting place, especially the well preserved Muslim quarter which was bustling and a center of Hui Muslim culture. I’ve also been to Kashgar, the Uighur cultural center of Western China, actually got to know some Uighurs, found out about some of their challenges and a lot of their culture/personal lives. Most of the Muslims in China are religiously moderate and good/honest people. By the time you get to Northwest China, from Shaanxi and westward, it is very far removed from coastal China with their close ties to other East Asian cultures, you start to see a lot of Islamic influence everywhere.
So I hope you guys enjoy these documentaries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOTGYz_EPPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzonghewb1k
A rare fact about me, I actually have a great deal of knowledge and experience with Chinese Muslim ethnicities. Maybe it’s because a significant part of my ancestry is from Shaanxi, one of the great origination points of the Silk Road and a region with a heavy Muslim population, my view on Chinese history and culture has always been less focused on East Asia, but rather towards China’s historic ties with Central Asia and westward towards the Middle East.
In these couple documentaries, they spend some time in Xi’an, one of the great historic capitals of China, and when I was there years ago, the old city was truly an enchanting place, especially the well preserved Muslim quarter which was bustling and a center of Hui Muslim culture. I’ve also been to Kashgar, the Uighur cultural center of Western China, actually got to know some Uighurs, found out about some of their challenges and a lot of their culture/personal lives. Most of the Muslims in China are religiously moderate and good/honest people. By the time you get to Northwest China, from Shaanxi and westward, it is very far removed from coastal China with their close ties to other East Asian cultures, you start to see a lot of Islamic influence everywhere.
So I hope you guys enjoy these documentaries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOTGYz_EPPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzonghewb1k