Yan Cong

Photographer

yancong.visura.co

If China Builds It, Will the Arab World Come?

Follow Hire

Location: Beijing

Nationality: China

Biography: Yan Cong (b.1991) is a researcher and independent photographer based in Amsterdam. Her current research interests are platform, datafication, ethical AI, culture production and labor. Yan is the co-founder of Far & Near , a newsletter... MORE

A Hui staffer chants prayers i... autonomous region of Ningxia.

A Hui staffer chants prayers in Arabic as she walks through the main hall of the Golden Palace at the Hui Culture Park outside of Yinchuan, in the autonomous region of Ningxia.

On a small road in the Najiahu... Culture Park behind the wall.

On a small road in the Najiahu Village, looking at the Hui Culture Park behind the wall.

Visitors take a selfie in fron...ibed in yellow over the gates.

Visitors take a selfie in front of the Taj Mahal-inspired main entrance to the Hui Culture Park. The parkâ€™s name is inscribed in yellow over the gates.

Inside the main gate of the Hu...slamic architectural patterns.

Inside the main gate of the Hui Culture Park, whose design was inspired by Indiaâ€™s Taj Mahal, wall carvings with Arabic calligraphy mimic traditional Islamic architectural patterns.

Currently only mud and sand, p...d phases of park construction.

Currently only mud and sand, plans to develop a Hui culture library and other buildings on this piece of land are part of the second and third phases of park construction.

Traditional Arabic outfits don...alace at the Hui Culture Park.

Traditional Arabic outfits donated by Kuwait Embassy in China and a photo of a girl in traditional Arabic clothes are on display at the entrance to the exhibition in Aisha Palace at the Hui Culture Park.

A Hui tour guide gives visitor... exhibit in the Aisha Palace.

A Hui tour guide gives visitors an introduction to the â€œIslamic Civilization to the Worldâ€ exhibit in the Aisha Palace.

A store inside the Aisha Palac... Embassy of Kuwait in Beijing.

A store inside the Aisha Palace sells souvenir scarves. The mirror reflects a mannequin wearing an example of a traditional Arab outfit, often known as adishdashaÂ or aÂ thawb, that was donated by the Embassy of Kuwait in Beijing.

A replica of the Saudi Arabia ...ned to resemble an oil tanker.

A replica of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, seen in the background, that was built for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, is one of the buildings being constructed in phase two of construction of the Hui Culture Park. The original was designed to resemble an oil tanker.

A visitor picks out a headscar...re entering the Golden Palace.

A visitor picks out a headscarf to wear before entering the Golden Palace.

A Hui woman helps her friend t... in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

A Hui woman helps her friend to put on the headscarf in the Golden Palace where all women visitors are asked to wear headscarves. Although being Hui, the two women said they don't have to wear headscarf at home in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Construction continues behind the Golden Palace.

A building decorated as a â€œt... shop in the Hui Culture Park.

A building decorated as a â€œtraditional Hui homeâ€ undergoes renovation. It used to serve as a souvenir shop in the Hui Culture Park.

Two Muslim Hui men stand at th... before they enter the mosque.

Two Muslim Hui men stand at the gate of Najiahu Mosque talking before the prayer. The sign on the table on the left reads "ticket." Tourists will buy tickets here before they enter the mosque.

Waiting for prayer to begin inside the Najiahu Mosque.

Two men sit on the floor and r...ajiahu Mosque, March 23, 2016.

Two men sit on the floor and read a Quran together, before the prayer begins in the main prayer hall of Najiahu Mosque, March 23, 2016.

Two men leave their shoes at t...prayer hall of Najiahu Mosque.

Two men leave their shoes at the entrance to the main prayer hall of Najiahu Mosque.

Muslim Hui men gather before a...er outside the Najiahu Mosque.

Muslim Hui men gather before afternoon prayer outside the Najiahu Mosque.

Workers attend to the landscap...rab States Expo the same year.

Workers attend to the landscaping in front of Ningxia International Hall, which was completed in 2015 and was the site of the China-Arab States Expo the same year.

Wang Lijuan leads an Arabic In...nternational Language College.

Wang Lijuan leads an Arabic Intensive Reading class for second-year students at Ningxia International Language College.

Two copies of Quran are put by...ovince, China, March 25, 2016.

Two copies of Quran are put by the window in a classroom where students paste Arabic vocabulary cards all over the wall, at Ningxia International Language College in Yongning County, Ningxia Province, China, March 25, 2016.

A pedestrian street in front o...l in Yinchuanâ€™s city center.

A pedestrian street in front of a shopping mall in Yinchuanâ€™s city center.

An observant man walks to the ... Mosque before mid-day prayer.

An observant man walks to the corner of the main prayer hall of Najiahu Mosque before mid-day prayer.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Thumbnail of A Hui staffer chants prayers in_e autonomous region of Ningxia.

Thumbnail of On a small road in the Najiahu _i Culture Park behind the wall.

Thumbnail of Visitors take a selfie in front_ribed in yellow over the gates.

Thumbnail of Inside the main gate of the Hui_Islamic architectural patterns.

Thumbnail of Currently only mud and sand, pl_rd phases of park construction.

Thumbnail of Traditional Arabic outfits dona_Palace at the Hui Culture Park.

Thumbnail of A Hui tour guide gives visitors_€ exhibit in the Aisha Palace.

Thumbnail of A store inside the Aisha Palace_e Embassy of Kuwait in Beijing.

Thumbnail of A replica of the Saudi Arabia P_gned to resemble an oil tanker.

Thumbnail of A visitor picks out a headscarf_ore entering the Golden Palace.

Thumbnail of A Hui woman helps her friend to_e in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Thumbnail of Construction continues behind the Golden Palace.

Thumbnail of A building decorated as a â€œtr_r shop in the Hui Culture Park.

Thumbnail of Two Muslim Hui men stand at the_e before they enter the mosque.

Thumbnail of Waiting for prayer to begin inside the Najiahu Mosque.

Thumbnail of Two men sit on the floor and re_Najiahu Mosque, March 23, 2016.

Thumbnail of Two men leave their shoes at th_ prayer hall of Najiahu Mosque.

Thumbnail of Muslim Hui men gather before af_yer outside the Najiahu Mosque.

Thumbnail of Workers attend to the landscapi_Arab States Expo the same year.

Thumbnail of Wang Lijuan leads an Arabic Int_International Language College.

Thumbnail of Two copies of Quran are put by _rovince, China, March 25, 2016.

Thumbnail of A pedestrian street in front of_ll in Yinchuanâ€™s city center.

Thumbnail of An observant man walks to the c_u Mosque before mid-day prayer.

Public Story

If China Builds It, Will the Arab World Come?

Copyright Yan Cong 2024

Date of Work Mar 2016 - Mar 2016

Updated Jun 2016

Location Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

Topics China, Community, Islam, Minority, Photography, Photojournalism, Religion

An assignment for a news analysis on ChinaFile on the development of cultural tourism in Ningxia, the only Hui Muslim autonomous region in China, and Chinese government's attempt to promote its own narrative of Islam in China in that process. A few photos from this series also appeared in Foreign Policy.