Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Jiang Dawei) news:“At the Xinjiang Kashi sub-venue of the Spring Festival Gala, that resplendent costume with Kashi style on Air, the singer, was designed by me,” Maiwulan Turak told the reporter over the phone on February 20, 2024.

At the Spring Festival Gala, the singer Air presented a song dressed in a silver costume adorned with pomegranate flowers and almond patterns. This costume was designed by Maiwulan who is very popular for his original designs of ethnic costumes, accessories, and unique cultural and creative products in the old town of Kashi.

Photo shows the traditional doppas from southern Xinjiang restored by Maiwulan Turak. (Photo provided by Maiwulan Turak)

Demanding a whole month, this silver hand-made costume, shining like a starry sky, was presented to the world with nearly 10,000 beads and silver sequins. In addition, the pomegranate blossoms and seeds, symbolizing the fruitful harvest season, and the Kashi style, all mark a diversified work.

This is not the first time Maiwulan stood out. Under the “Domestic and International Directors Joint-Production Project”, CCTV invited 10 well-known domestic and international directors to jointly produce 10 documentary short films, which were released on the CCTV news app. One of the 10 documentary short films is named A young man in the old town of Kashi, which tells the story about Maiwulan.

This film is about Maiwulan Turak returning to his hometown to start a business. Five years ago, Maiwulan opened a cultural and creative shop called “Rumi”, which means “fascination” in English, in the old town of Kashi, serving as a window for people to learn about the culture of the Silk Road. Maiwulan said, “I’m known as @in_kashgar online. I have been living in Kashi since I was a child, and I love this city very much. Kashi is a place that can represent Xinjiang very much. And I have been dedicated to sharing the beauty of Xinjiang. I believe it is my passion that this film exists.

After his graduation from Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Maiwulan started his own clothing business in hometown with his passion for clothing since childhood. He sells silk products and traditional handicrafts in a less than 10-square-meter shop, and regularly organizes Silk Road cultural exhibitions and activities to allow tourists to experience the charm of the Silk Road firsthand. At the same time, he has risen to fame on social media. Maiwulan also digs up old costumes in southern Xinjiang, and has restored local traditional costumes over the years, presenting the beauty of changes of the costumes over the times.

Maiwulan's words in the documentary short film were very impressive. He said, “Since the old town of Kashi has been renovated, it has attracted more and more tourists. The development of Kashi has given me the opportunity to realize my dream. I hope the multiculturalism of the Silk Road can be learned by more people, and I hope my hometown can be seen by the whole world.”

Photo shows Maiwulan Turak (left) and Ma Xing. (Photo provided by Ma Xing)

Since the second half of last year, Maiwulan has started to explore traditional music and dance of Kashi. On October 6 last year, Maiwulan and the Gaotai Gallery, an Urumqi-based contemporary art gallery, met in Kashi for the sound of Muqam. Together they planned and produced the contemporary Muqam mini-theater music and dance drama The Color of Pomegranates. Directed by Maiwulan and based on the story of the musician Amanisha Khan, this drama features 18 Muqam artists from Kashi Prefecture, including three generations, without any sound equipment, indulging the audience in appreciating the authentic art of Twelve Muqams.

Young entrepreneurs like Maiwulan are in number in the old town of Kashi.

Photo shows Maiwulan Turak puts on earrings for tourists for special photo service. (Photo provided by Maiwulan Turak)

Kashi holds immense historical significance and culture as a pivotal hub of the Belt and Road, which attracts more and more young people like Maiwulan to settle and start businesses. They have led exciting entrepreneurial stories with creativity, passion, love for the hometown, and yearning for the world. They are the ones who opened various cultural and creative stores in this ancient city, launched unique products and services, injecting new vitality into the economic development of Xinjiang’s Kashi, glowing in their era.

“In the old town of Kashi, young people not only seek inspiration from traditional culture, but also integrate modern elements into their creations, showing the world a different Kashi. With Maiwulan’s creations, we can see both traditional aesthetics and contemporary expression. Maiwulan and many other young people hold creative potential, ambition and infinite possibilities,” said Ma Xing, the director of Urumqi Gaotai Contemporary Art Center.

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