Pakistani jeweler says Xinjiang life is a gem

After 28 years in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Asim Muhammad from Pakistan is usually considered a local by tourists.

Asim, who speaks fluent Chinese and Uygur, regards Urumqi as his second home considering his life-changing experience there. "If I hadn't come here, I would have missed out on one of the most important people in my life."

He first came to Xinjiang in 1993, at which time he met his wife Sayda Abliz, a Uygur. The two soon fell in love and settled down in Urumqi, opening a jewelry shop. Most of the jewelry in their shop is from Pakistan.

Twenty-eight years of happy marriage have given them three children, and Asim is full of pride for them. His oldest daughter has just graduated from college and will soon pursue a doctorate. He also has a son who is good at sports and will take the college entrance exam next year. His youngest daughter is a high school student.

"Thanks to favorable policies by the local government, my life is easy, even with three kids," he says.

Asim says traveling is one of the family's favorite activities. His family has visited Pakistan, the United States, France and many other countries, as well as Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen in Guangdong province, and Shanghai.

"Many cities have developed a lot in China. So has Urumqi," Asim says. When he first came to the regional capital, there weren't many tall buildings and the transportation facilities were inadequate, he says.

Skyscrapers, viaducts, high-speed trains and subways, he adds, have made life more convenient in the city.

With more tourists pouring into Xinjiang, Asim's jewelry business has also experienced booming development.

In the early years, after he and his wife opened their shop at the International Grand Bazaar, it was a marketplace. But gradually, with help of the local government, the bazaar was remodeled to highlight ethnic cultural elements. It has now been turned into one of Xinjiang's most iconic tourist attractions, he says.

At the bazaar, Asim has made a lot of friends from different ethnic groups. "We are really close and always help one another," he says.

He says that, even though the pandemic has hit the businesses there, he is still confident that things will pick up and he has been planning another family trip when the pandemic is over.