Tales of Hotan: Tradition, religion and innovation (4)

Innovation: power of the Internet

Dilnur Iskender sells traditional Uygur wood carved tableware via online live streaming in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie)

Once a substitute teacher, 29-year-old Dilnur Iskender is now a local Internet celebrity. Along with her two partners, she has been selling traditional Uygur wood carved tableware online for over half a year, creating an online frenzy for traditional Uygur artwares.

"The reason why I wanted to become a social media influencer is because of a wooden spoon I have been using since I was a kid. Such spoons are made by traditional Uygur wood carving techniques, but in 2017, when my old spoon broke, I found it impossible to get a new one, because no one was making those things anymore," said Dilnur.

After quitting her job in 2020, Dilnur came to Hotan in search of the last Uygur wood carving masters. It took her several months to find 10 craftsmen who knew these traditional techniques, and even the youngest of them was over 40 years old.

"All of them had stopped making wood carvings when I found them, because they could not make money from it, while the young generation is reluctant to learn these traditional techniques," said Dilnur.

"Technological advances have threatened the existence of our traditional culture and art, but we can also use Internet to revive them. With this in mind, I decided to livestream and sell those traditional tablewares online," said Dilnur.

After sharing her emotional stories of her childhood memories online, Dilnur began to attract widespread attention. Clients across China were touched by her stories and the interesting cultural meaning behind the wooden tablewares. They began ordering all kinds of Uygur wood carving artwares from her, and even fans from other nations such as Russia and Kazakhstan have contacted her, hoping to get a Uygur spoon for themselves.

"Every day, I can sell around 20,000 yuan of wooden tablewares. I have signed contracts with all the carving masters, and now they are happy to continue their work. I feel really happy about that," said Dilnur.

Ershat Ibrahim introduces Hotan rose tea to his clients online. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie)

Like Dilnur, 30-year-old Ershat Ibrahim is also a social media influencer. His online shop features Hotan's agricultural products, and he is also a content maker who make videos of local markets, agricultural festivals and local art.

Every week, Ershat invites his two partners, a pair of outstanding Uygur dancers, to livestream Uygur dance to the audience, helping them to get a better understanding of Uygur culture.

Two girls perform Uygur dance to demonstrate local culture to online audiences. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie)

"The internet has provided young people like me a big platform to show our talents, and also introduced Uygur culture to the public. It's interesting to see the dynamic integration between old and new, tradition and innovation," he said.