China's Wild West

CHINA | Monday, 14 January 2013 | Views [187] | View Smaller Image

Food is especially special during the Uyghur festivals. This young girl is making Sangza; crispy, fried dough twists, which are one of the most important snacks for festivals as well as other special occasions such as weddings. Foreigners like to call this snack "Uyghur Popcorn" since it's light and salty, but also because it's so hard to stop after just one bite.

Food is a central part of the Uyghur culture. When Uyghurs meet with friends or family the generally share a meal, and if they don't share a meal they will at least have a snack of some sort.
This stall was set up in the extreme heat of summer, so they are serving a favorite dish of cold noodles on the right, and on the left, a special treat for dessert or a snack - Uyghur homemade ice cream.

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Qurban is the biggest festival in the Uyghur calendar. Each family purchases and then sacrifices their own sheep to remember when the prophet Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son, but then God provided a substitute of a sheep at the last second.
At the start of the day the city was abuzz with the festivities of the day; men on their way to the mosque, women buying supplies for the celebrations and sheep being sold on the street. However a couple hours later the atmosphere had changed completely; a sombre mood of remembrance set on community.
As the blood lingered in the streets the reasons for the festival also lingered with everyone as they spent the rest of the day with their families.

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China's Wild West

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