Helping tame the wild wild west

• Source: Global Times
• [10:28 July 21 2010]
• Comments

By Wang Yufeng

For the last seven years, the little known yinling (Silver Age) project has been sending retired professionals from Shanghai to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to share their knowledge and help the local people. For many, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is the most exotic part of China with its mountains, plains, desert oases, ancient towns and mix of local cultures. As the westernmost part of China, Xinjiang has retained much of its unique identity, but because of its vast area, development has been slow, prompting many retirees to help give the region a boost.

"It began in 2003. We responded to the Government's call to help develop the west," said Yuan Junliang, the head of the Shanghai Committee on Aging, which organizes the project and heads the association in cooperation with related authorities in Xinjiang. To date, 216 people have been to Xinjiang, including 21 professionals who left for Xinjiang in June this year and will remain there for two months. Most of them have worked in medicine, while others are also experts in stock farming and education.

Before they embarked, the retired professionals had to go through a series of medical checks, and were also required to provide proof they were qualified in their respective fields. "The procedures are complicated, but are well worth it," said Xu Zhenda, a doctor who specializes in orthopedics and has worked in Xinjiang six times from 2003 to 2008.

A sense of accomplishment

Retired in 2002, Xu, who lives in Pudong New Area, was about to settle into a relaxing retirement, "Actually the hospital I retired from wanted to reemploy me, because as an old doctor I am regarded as being rich in experience and am more trusted by the patients," said Xu. However, when Xu heard about the project in Xinjiang, he applied. "I had never been there, but I had seen the unique natural beauty and culture on television, so I was curious. I longed to see blue sky and white clouds, which we can not see in Shanghai." After being accepted, Xu went to Aksu in far-western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

After his first visit, Xu was eager to return. "The wage provided by government is only about 2,000 yuan ($295) per month, which is half of what I would have earned had I gone back to the hospital," said Xu. "But the feeling of satisfaction is totally different." The locals were extremely hospitable to Xu and his companions. They invited the doctors to their homes, and taught them traditional songs and dances. Some Mongolian people presented Xu with a hada, which is a piece of silk traditionally used as a welcoming gift in their culture. "I have never felt so respected before. They showed me such gratitude when I treated them or their family members," said Xu. "In Shanghai, treating patients is regarded as providing a service, it is just a job. Sure sometimes patients give you a hongbao (a red envelope containing money) to show their gratitude, but the feeling is different. You can feel genuine gratitude from the people of Xinjiang, which is why I wanted to go there the following year," When Xu returned to Xinjiang, a girl, whose mother was treated by him, was angry at her mother for forgetting to tell her the doctor had returned. To show her gratitude, this girl gave Xu her father's favorite knife, a precious item in the local culture. "That moved me," said Xu. "Everyone knows money is important and I am no exception, but in my twilight years job satisfaction comes first."

"Back in Shanghai, I like to show my friends and neighbors the traditional Uyghur dances that I learned in Xinjiang. They were all very impressed," said Xu, who after his sixth trip to Xinjiang in 2008 had to retire from the program for health reasons.

Li Dunyun and her husband Doctor Weng Qingjie also worked in Aksu where they gave presentations and advised teachers at a vocational school. They both lived in dorms provided by the school and cooked their own meals as there was no canteen.

Both husband and wife were living in Xinjiang during the Urumqi riots of July 5th, 2009. The riots involved clashes between Han Chinese and members of the Uyghur minority resulting in 197 deaths and 1,721 injuries according to Xinhua news agency. Although the unrest did not affect Aksu, the atmosphere was very tense. "Police patrolled the streets, and they guarded teachers and students at the gates of the school and told us not to go outside. But we kept going out. We had to buy vegetables and cook dinner for ourselves," said Li. "Things had already happened, so there was no reason to continue being scared. I'm old so I don't get scared that easily, but I was still careful." Li said she was shocked when she first heard news of the riots. "In my experience, relations between Hans, Tibetans and Uyghurs were good; it was rare for me to hear any bad news."