This is apropos my letter to the Editor ‘Innovative solutions to terrorism and extremism’ carried by the newspaper yesterday. I had the unique experience of wandering through the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, which has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years.

What was once a traditional market is now a state-of-the-art bazaar, offering every food, fruit, and sweet delicacy imaginable. The atmosphere was vibrant, with dance performances, live music, and cultural displays adding a festive touch to the bustling market.

One of the most striking changes was the shift in security measures. Instead of a heavy presence in the bazaar itself, security has been moved to control rooms, allowing people to enjoy a sense of freedom and ease as they explore.

Unlike my visit twelve years ago, when only a few faces reflected prosperity, now you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who appeared to be in poverty or distress. The cultural experience at Xinjiang Art Theatre was nothing short of overwhelming.

Tall, beautifully dressed girls with bright, glittering smiles, along with young boys and handsome men, danced to traditional Muslim folk tunes. Their graceful dance steps and the melodious music filled the entire atmosphere with a sense of magic and celebration, making the experience truly unforgettable.

I also had the opportunity to visit Yinning, another city in Xinjiang, which has developed into a bustling commercial and industrial complex along the Kazakhstan border, right on the Euro rail route.

Here, towering high-rise buildings and shopping complexes have sprung up, where Chinese and Kazakh citizens engage in frantic shopping sprees.

The complex also features numerous food courts and even a 5D cinema. We watched a movie that almost physically transported us across the Euro Triangle, making half the journey feel incredibly real.

With substantial investment, the government has transformed the Grand Bazaar of Yinning into a vibrant cultural hub. Beautifully decorated horse-drawn buggies now ferry delighted tourists through the artistically adorned bazaar and its surrounding streets.

The houses in the vicinity of the bazaar have been converted into elegant guest and rest houses, where tourists can immerse themselves in the traditional lifestyle, experience local cooking, and savor delicious, mouthwatering home-cooked delicacies, along with homegrown fruits and vegetables.

The out-of-this-world hospitality provided here not only offers tourists a unique cultural experience but has also given local households a decent livelihood. This innovative approach has successfully blended tourism with cultural preservation, benefiting both the visitors and the community.

Qamar Bashir

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024