Daban and Turpan

cctv.com 09-21-2004 14:45

Princess in Daban

To most Chinese people, Daban town is frozen-framed to such images: hard and flat stone paths, big and sweet watermelons, and ultimately, a beautiful long-braided Uighur girl riding in a horse cart fully-loaded with her dowry.

But to me, a branding image of Daban is that angelic smile of little Malinga. Malinga means princess in Uighur, a name so right for her beauty, yet so out-of-place for her life story. When some big-city kids about her age in China are still being fed (literally) by their parents or grandparents, our little princess in Daban is already helping out in making a living. At the tender age of six, what Malinga does most of the day is sitting next to her beautiful and tacit mother in front of the loom, weaving Xinjiang woolen blanket. They moved from Hetian, a far far away place in South Xinjiang where Malinga's father died years ago.

When we first came in, Malinga just took quick peeks at the camera crew, and exchanged curious and exciting looks with mom. Then, she gave us this smile, a smile so sweet, pure and bright that will make everybody forget about the tumultuous world for that moment.

Will Malinga go to school next year? Will she become the long-braided bride in that riding horse cart in twenty years? I don't know the answer yet, but at least, we've captured that priceless smile.

Travel tips for Turpan:

1.The place is huge with decent road condition and mostly inhabited by Uighur people 鈥every reason to hire a car and a good driver who knows some Uiygur if you don't want to follow those cookie-cutter tours. (I highly recommend our driver Xiao Ma, without him, the program would be a disaster.)

2.Bring enough water and moisturizer out on a hiking trip as most of the places are extremely dry and warm during summer being in the lowest basin in China.

3.Do taste the sticky sweet grapes and melons Turpan people take so much pride in; and the best place for that kind of experience is at a Uighur house visit. Toward the end, remind the host of doing Nazircom, a local Turpan dance with some cool stunts. It may sound a little cheesy and touristy, but after a heavy Latiaozi meal (the chewy Xinjiang noodle), it surely doesn't hurt to shake up to the music and shake off those extra calories!

4.I didn't get time to go to Gaochang Relics; but some say it's even above the caliber of Jiaohe ruins. If so, then it's a go go!

Editor:Chen  Source:CCTV.com