🇨🇳 Xinjiang: Good food and high security
One of “those” Chinese women on YouTube (in English), Mia chen (I observed her small “c”), posted two videos after a month in Xinjiang (she previously lived in Shenzhen). I’ll start with the most recent one.
● Living in China’s Most Controlled Region: A Single Woman’s Day in Xinjiang
The food seems tasty and cheap. However, as an old Chinese saying goes, if you eat noodles without garlic, you miss half the flavor (吃面不吃蒜，香味少一半).
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:49 Dropping off laundry at the dry cleaner
- 01:30 Breakfast time: Chewy Xinjiang noodles
- 02:46 Street-side fruit & snack haul
- 05:35 Boiling fresh local milk
- 06:41 Hotel work setup & VPN reality
- 07:50 Park stroll: $4 massage & ear cleaning
- 08:54 Drinking tea at a local teahouse
- 10:44 Joining the evening square dance
- 11:34 Late-night street food
- 14:45 3 AM unattended convenience store
● 4 weeks ago: Realistic Daily Life In China’s Most Restricted Province (🇨🇳 Xinjiang)
In Xinjiang, kitchen knives have a serial number and a QR code, and require real-name registration.
“Honestly, some of us from the Han ethnic group are so jealous of Uyghur people. Their facial features are super sharp and defined, almost like foreigners. Sometimes, I really can’t tell if someone is a tourist or a local.”
I loved the numbered utility poles—you have to watch the video around minute 5!
- 00:00 Video Intro
- 01:02 Police Stations on Every Corner
- 02:18 Eating at the Mall
- 03:28 Three Shops You See EVERYWHERE in Xinjiang
- 05:07 Why Lunch is at 2:00 PM Here
- 06:23 Finding a Tailor at an Old Mall
- 09:04 Evening Walks & Dancing at Nanhu Park
- 13:03 Xinjiang Nightlife
- 13:59 Why Security is So Tight Here
- 15:33 Heading Home & Unwinding
