Naan industrial park gives Uygur people a new start

Arzigul is not the only one benefiting from the naan industrial park that was established in November.

The life of Abduhayni Imam also got better after he was hired to make naan in December.

Prior to that, the 29-year-old Uygur man used to pick up cottons and lay bricks, but the income was unstable. "It was difficult for me to look after my mother and support my younger brother's middle school study," said the man, who became the breadwinner of the family after his father died in a traffic accident three years ago.

"I had to drop out of school due to poverty, so I don't want my brother to face the same situation," he said. Under the county government's program, Abduhayni was introduced to the industrial park to learn skills of naan making, and now he can earn about 3,500 yuan per month.

Like Abduhayni, some 700 people working for the industrial park come from poor families.

Looking into the future, Abduhayni is saving money for his marriage and hopes to see his brother go to college. "If the two dreams come true, I would be the happiest man," he said.