Hanzu in a Headscarf: Travels in Xinjiang

Xinjiang شىنجاڭ‎‎ 新疆 is a mountainous, oil-rich region that forms the bulbous bump of northwest China. Bordering Tibet to the south, Mongolia to the east, Russia to the north, with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to the west, Xinjiang (lit. new frontier) has long been a vital trading hub and cultural melting pot at the heart of the Central Asian Silk Road. BuddhismContinueContinue reading “Hanzu in a Headscarf: Travels in Xinjiang”

From Tuva to Chengdu: Interview with Sayan Bapa from Huun-Huur-Tu

It is cold tonight — but not a touch on the sub-zero Siberian winters that Huun-Huur-Tu have weathered in their homelands of Tuva, a remote region of Russia near the outer Mongolian border. Proof that group huddles around a fire for warmth result in sing-a-longs, especially those that take place in a yurt. Sayan Bapa founding member of the veteran throat singing ensemble sharedContinueContinue reading “From Tuva to Chengdu: Interview with Sayan Bapa from Huun-Huur-Tu”