I fully condemn all forms of cultural oppression and human rights violations around the world. This video shares my personal experience traveling in Xinjiang as an adventure traveler. It is not intended to promote any political agenda. Be kind to one another. Luv u. Mike x
Appreciate that Mike. The amount of trolls in the comment section is unbelievable. That being said, YT is banned in China so its gotta be the propaganda machine trolls. They drive traffic to your channel so that's probably the only positive.
One thing always bothers me is that the Han Chinese established their cities and settlement long before the Uyghur or mogolians. Han dynasty established “The Protectorate of the Western Regions“ in 60 BC when there is not even a Uyghur race. And Han Chinese community has been living there for 2000 years. And saying "and now the Han Chinese" like the Han community just moved there just feels bad like "now the native Americans are having their own community in North America too."
But did you witness any actual incidents of these allegations, or any ones that gave you an impression or vibes that they're happening ?? If no, you should be bold enough to just come on out and say it instead of suppressing this feeling internally for fear of "offending or being criticized & rejected " by your western brethren.
To be honest, there's no hitchhike culture in China. That's why everyone feels weird when they hear you speak out your proposal. And if you get injured or even died, there would be a Diplomatic incident, That's why police would stop you and ask you questions
U r probably famous amongst the Xinjiang Cops now. They be like "u guys know about that British guy hitchhiking across Xinjiang? That dude is fking nuts to travel in Xinjiang by hitch hiking. May all my ancestors bless me so he won't die in our jurisdiction and feed himself to the wolves man. That would be a lot of paperwork."
Didn’t American politicians say that the Uyghurs were genocide? Why do we meet Uyghurs everywhere? They also sang and danced, even singing Uyghur songs in their cars? Ugly Western politicians!
Thanks for showing the world the diverse, peaceful Xinjiang I remember from my trip last year. I didn't meet many Kazaks, but lots of Tajik and Uyghur communities. Had a great time, ate a lot of food, and no I wasn't paid by the CCP either.
The Western governments know there is no concentration camp in Xinjiang, they say that to brainwash normal people to hate China and Chinese people. You will be censored and called a CCP spy if you say things they don't like.
The reason there is claims he is being paid by the CCP is probably due to channels that legitimately have been, of which are so frequent that it is popping up in news articles. I believe him but you probably should understand that there is a clear pattern of Russian / Chinese companies that are shells of their respective governments paying other shells of theirs money to eventually give to Western "influencers." It isn't an unworthy question to ask unless you are naive, and given places like US / UK do this as well, it's easy to be suspicious. To me the biggest tell he is not lying about not being paid (at least to his knowledge) is that he does not appear to be working under a media company that is known for such nor are the titles suitable for what would be good "propaganda."
BBC is hating you right now! lol! Good job! Every time when I think the police will do something that the BBC would report, they just ask you to stay safe.
What about the thousands of first hand testimonies and millions of people that have been locked up. The police have clearly been instructed to be good to foreign bloggers/tourists as a publicity stunt.
@@Amelie3405c he wears good Rab insulated jacket and using TNF bag but meanwhile he is using some very cheap budget gears in some most fatal parts like sleeping bag and tent. If I'm the policeman I will try my best to not let him go cuase he's definitely killing himself
It seems you have to be either pro-China or totally against China. Truth and impartiality are not allowed. The current situation in China means that it is very safe to travel there and even without such a system I think ordinary people in most countries, including China, are decent and kind. The downside of such a system is that you are at the mercy of an elite few who are in charge. Problems can arise when people in power are either corrupt or if they implement a well intentioned but flawed policy. While China is both safer and more prosperous and the overall quality of life for the average person is far better than could ever have been imagined just a couple of generations ago, I think there is something inherently wrong with a society that relies on artificial controls in order to ensure the people do the right thing and not on underlying moral principles. Of course you can have a bit of both but ultimately we need to put more emphasis on the moral side and less emphasis on mistrust and control. At this moment in time, China appears to be better in many ways than western so-called democracies where the system has failed. The failure of such systems is less due to their ideology but more to do with the fact that these systems have been hijacked by people with nefarious intentions. The freedom of ideas has allowed certain people to introduce ideas and concepts which are destructive to that society and go against nature. We should be able to openly and sincerely discuss these ideas here without attracting hatred and being attacked.
@@daveshongkongchinachannel well my friend actually I would agree with most of your statements, especially on the pros and cons of different system. unbiased and objective perspective is a rare thing nowadays on internet. I can not reply to all of the points you made one by one, but I will say that I wish there comes one day people all around the world can view different styles of system like you do, to see them more as tools/methods to serve mankind, rather than some kind of religion "there's only one true SYSTEM and all others are false and evil!" this kind of medieval crusader mindset (meme creature) had been ruling over all mankind for over 100+ years and in my opinion human (mostly the westerners) do need liberation from such way of almost religious thinking. btw, if I may ask, which country are you from?
@@daveshongkongchinachannel ok I understand you're from HK, judging by the contents in your channel. a bit of disappointment cause I wish someone from western world could have such mentality like yours. Humanity needs salvation from religion-alized politics. 这个主义、那个主义，其实邓公的“白猫黑猫”思维模式才是我们最需要的现实主义。
Oh man, you're really brave! Hiking alone outdoor can be quite dangerous because of the significant temperature differences between day and night. And Xinjiang is a vast province with large areas uninhabited land, so hiking alone there is really unsafe. If you encounter any trouble, it's best call the police without hesitation.
The last thing anyone wants is a disappearing foreigner, only months later to be discovered dead in the empty lands. Lucky this guy is not insisting on venturing too far out causing concern for the local people and police in a potential search and rescue. Bad actors can easily insists on exploring dangerous and remote areas and making it out that the government is trying to hide something, when in fact they're creating unnecessary worries for the locals.
@@thisiskevin1000 It is said that the maximum temperature difference in Xinjiang in one day exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. There is no human activity in most areas, and there are so many wolves. There may not be a chance to call the police, and they will either freeze to death or be eaten by wolves.
My man! What a gem! I'm Han chinese studied in the UK before, welcome to my country! Seeing your video is literally finding Gem on the Internet! And may I just say, mate, you do a terrific vlogs about your travellings. I enjoyed your china vlogs so much. My friend from Xinjiang told me Kanasi in Northern Xinjiang is the most beautiful place and I want to go someday myself. Have fun in Xinjiang, please enjoy but most importantly be safe! Love from China!
I rarely take anytime to comment on videos but as a fellow Brit living in China I'm thankful for videos about Xinjiang, I've always wanted to visit but never built up the courage to do so! The fact you've just hitchhiked your way through with your biggest problems being a vomiting child is so cool! putting all politics, cultural difference and what's reported on western media aside there truly is many beautiful places within China the vast majority of people will be more than willing to help you which I've sure you've experienced greatly! I'm sure you don't need me to tell you since you clearly have a good sense of humour, but ignore all the social media warriors that'll write politic bullshit or ask "HoW MuCH DiD tHE CcP pAY yoU FoR tHIs ViDeo?!" your videos have been an awesome reality into what is true 👌
its a relief indeed! all i hear from the news are social credit scores being deducted and human right abuse. this blew my mind. could easily see this is not as eye catching for a news headline.
Fear not my friend, Xin Jiang is a gorgeous place that is definitely worth the visit. When you have time it’s best to find a local friend or a friend that enjoys travel research a lot for there is much to see and much to experience. Also best be prepared to not constantly having vegetables in your diet. Best to stack up on local fruits which are some of the best in the whole country. I’m sure you’ll have a journey of your life time(in a good way of course).
Isn't it curious, my friends, how most RU-vidrs seem to fall into one of two extremes? They're either ardently pro-CCP, denying any shadows that might loom over China, or they're so far to the right they believe everything about China is colossal and sinister, skewing their content to showcase only one side of the story. But, like every nation, China is a complex tapestry-both beautiful and flawed in equal measure. So it's truly refreshing to see someone who focuses purely on the journey and the people they meet along the way.
That's right. As a Chinese who has lived in China for 39 years, I can tell you that the government has done a lot to improve people's lives, and there are also many problems that need to be solved. At least our direction is correct and progress is evident.
yea imagine a european going to the US having comments like "Are you gonna condemn the multiple genocides and warcrimes carried out or approved by directions of the presidents or the senate???" kinda insane how much propaganda is spewd that fall into the subject of sinophobia.
As a Brit who moved to China six years ago, I am so glad more videos like yours are being made. It wasn't we moved here that we realised a lot of what we have been led to believe about China is completely false. We were in Hong Kong during 2019 and we watched Reuters point their video camera on the police, while literally at their feet protestors were sverely beating innocent people up because they spoke Mandarin or were trying to clear the road. The entire Western media painted the whole thing as a fight for democracy and against China, when in reality it was a very racist, gaslighted issue. Only last week the FT published a piece claiming that this year just 1,000 startups were established in China, only foe it to be completely debunked by the data source they used.
15:58 the nomad actually said you can camp anywhere here. He had a really thick accent, but he said 那个路边都可以搭帐篷 which means you can camp on the side of the road.
Happy travels, friendly people... Love your videos, there are always many difficulties traveling in a strange country, but you are so optimistic! Have a safe journey!
China is perhaps the easiest and safest country for hitchhike travellers. Many Chinese people bike or walk thousands of km to and from Tibet. This man is nothing, he is doing something super easy by hitchhiking, he should prove how tough he really is by walking thousands of km to Tibet, let's see he does it like tens of thousands of Chinese who are everyday on the roads to and from Tibet at high altitude and harsh weather.
Your videos help debunk the fake news in western media about Xinjiang. Through your videos, you are helping Uyghurs and other people living there to reduce the adverse impact of unfair international sanctions imposed against the people living in Xinjiang. Like everyone else in the world, people there want economic development, good jobs and a better life 👍👍👍
Of course, western countries want Xinjiang development too. But the reality is that Chinese government doesn't allow companies to do any inspections in factories in that region. So it means all those factories need to move elsewhere in China if they want to sell internationally. To put the blame on Western Media when this could be easily also dealt with by the Chinese Government is naive view.
@@Eli0T1 Ehh, western companies are literally dependent on cheap slave-like labor from the east and south. They are not interested in improving any conditions.
@@lordumas Making crap up? Bro I work in industries that import stuff from China. Our lives would be 1000 times easier if Chinese government allowed independent inspections into these regions factories.
The police check on the foreigners more often because they're responsible for their safety. They are trying avoid diplomatic issues in the event you hurt yourself or got lost or worse.
@maarten332 did you not hear the cops literally tell him to keep warm wear more clothes and not hesitate to call if he is in need? I studied abroad in China and can confirm that Chinese cops are genuinely caring and helpful, one time they took me home when I was lost.
People from all over the world should live in peace and harmony, we also should be kind and offer help to each other just Mike did. We are living together on a tiny planet called earth🌍. Love from China 🇨🇳.
😢It is a great shame to myself. I have never seen such a beautiful scenery in Xinjiang as a Chinese person! You are so lucky, and I admire your courage to travel to Xinjiang on your own!❤❤
I unfortunately have a ulcer insie my lips, and im watching your vid while laughing so hard, my ulcer is hurting me so bad, Why is so many funny parts this time !!! U R KILLING ME .😂
Great job and great video, mate! Juat when I thought I have seen all the China travel videos on YT I found yours. You way of travelling is really eye opening, I bet none of the other vlogers dare to try your style. Keep up the good job buddy.
some people always said china pay the foreigners for propaganda, but the truth is chinese government didn't care about foreign tourists that much. The government is spending more energy on nation-building.
What do you mean? It is literally proven they have done so. Most large world powers do invest in this but China / Russia are the only ones who have to do so via shell companies thanks to our longterm suspicion of them (which I do not agree with.)
Hello, Mike - I'm in Singapore & enjoying the videos of your incredibly wonderful, & very unique kind of travel! You have guts to go to unknown & extremely remote places! I'm sure you will treasure this experience for a very long time!!! Cheers!
@user-xr5cz2mr4v Nothing compared to China today - Singapore is like a small town with average infrastructures, public transport, very safe but China is tops!
These nomads are not poor in wealth, they are extremely wealthy, just count how many sheeps and horses they have, and they only trade in cash, so sometimes they reject strangers to live near them, probably because they have a whole lot of cash inside their yurt, and China doesnt tax nomads
Back then , foreigners never had issue to travel in Xinjiang , we saw many backpackers in Xinjiang and Tibet, however after around 2010, many spies and ‘journalists ‘ came to Xinjiang & Tibet and make a lot stories and teach local ethnic to overthrow government. Then riots happened in Xinjiang &!tibet. Gradually Chinese government closed door for foreigners . This couple of years China reopened door for foreigners to Xinjiang & Tibet! Just hope this time , things will go well and still hopefully BBC & CNN will still have no permit to go there ! As you know they are just spies under the name of journalists!
Yes, 99% of people in Xinjiang and Tibet have strong beliefs and religious consciousness, so American spies and fake journalists brainwash religious believers to overthrow the Chinese government or create trouble. But now the Chinese government has many preferential policies for minorities, allowing and protecting their freedom of religious belief, but not allowing anyone to force others to believe in religion. Allowing minority students to go to good schools with lower scores and learn scientific knowledge
A bunch of European countries recently got 15 days free visa on arrival in China as well, so it is certainly opening up! Hoping to do my Silk Road trip on a bike from Europe at some point!
I’m from Hong Kong but have been moving to the UK for 11 years now (NOTE: Just to clarify I’m coming from Hong Kong doesn’t mean my ethnicity is Chinese before being antagonised here). I made my first trip to China two years ago alone and I got the same feeling when I was there. There are cultural difference among different cities in China, let alone a special city like Hong Kong that’s been colonised by the Brit. for 100 years. Therefore my first visit to China was quite a cultural shock but I love the people. Everything works differently and I have learnt a lot! The food are the best! Thanks for sharing your experience. Have fun and have a safe journey !
you are a Chinese have been living abroad for just 11 years and you came back visited your homeland and you got a "cultural shock"......dude, what u talking about!
@@让猪飞一会儿not quite if you have been to Hong Kong. I admit it may be more influenced by Chinese culture now but it wasn’t quite so in the past. I’m a Pakistani background so coming from Hong Kong doesn’t mean my ethnicity is Chinese or my cultural background is Chinese. There’s many minority group of people in Hong Kong but doesn’t mean they are all Chinese. That’s really narrowed head assumption.
@@让猪飞一会儿in addition I don’t need to bypass the firewall to visit RU-vid in Hong Kong. I would recommend you have a visit to Hong Kong, find it out yourself the cultural difference and maybe try to appreciate it.
I disagree. B&B is a disgusting sex tourist. I don't get that vibe from this guy. Though I only recently discovered his channel. Cool video. My only advice would be to invest in a better tent next time.
Hey Mike, absolutely love your videos. Are u still in Xinjiang now? October 1st to 7th is China's National Day holiday, and there will be a lot of tourists flocking to Xinjiang during that time. So just be prepared. Also, a kind reminder, when hitchhiking, just wave your hand instead of thumbs up. Take care and have fun bro. 😊
Mike you are amazing.i wish i could travel like you did. I went to Xinjiang last year the eastern part around Urumqi. Plan to go to western part around Kashgar next month. 😅👍
This is the only channel me the Mrs and me 2 boys actually agree what a great vlogger you are! All in preparation to hopefully trip china 🇨🇳 please make visa process easier for Uk 🇬🇧 🙏
If Britain is friendlier to China and the British media (with American forces behind it) stops smearing China, China will very much welcome the British to come in.
I have to correct you. These nomads are very rich in China. They are usually Tibetans, Hui people, Uyghurs. China has many preferential and protective policies for ethnic minorities. They have their own houses in big cities, but the government allows them to maintain their traditions, graze on the grasslands on a large scale, and their children can go to good schools with lower scores. And they usually own more than 2,000 sheep and cattle, each of which is about 20,000 or 30,000 RMB on average. This income is enough to live a happy life in China and even in most countries. They graze every day just because of their ethnic tradition, not because they are poor. Those cattle and sheep are their private property.
Han people are not allowed to graze on the grassland on a large scale. This is because the Han population is large and the Han people have no tradition of grazing. But if you are a rural Han person, you can raise a small amount of livestock. If you need to raise livestock on a large scale, you must get permission. Because the grassland is very fragile, if you graze on a large scale and don't protect the grassland, it will soon become a desert. There are many deserts in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, mostly due to overgrazing. But the government still allows and protects the traditions of ethnic minorities, allowing them to graze on a large scale. On the other hand, the government pays for planting trees and grass in desert areas. I think the Chinese government has done a very good job.
Bro, be safe! People there are good, however there are also wild animals, deserts, virgin forests no people ever stepped on. So drivers there pull over to ask if you need a ride, the policemen question you where you going, and tell you camping is suggested in designated areas only.
Stumbled across your channel by accident. Wow. This is amazing! Love the rawness of your vlog and the interactions with people. Definitely subscribed for future content!
there are 13 ethnic groups been living in Xinjiang over thousands of years，汉han，维吾尔uygur，哈萨克kazak，满man，蒙古mongol，回hui，柯尔克孜kirgiz，塔吉克tajik，乌孜别克uzbek，达斡尔daur，俄罗斯russ，锡伯xibe，塔塔尔tatar……I grew up in a Hui autonomous county in northern part of Xinjiang BTW. And my favourite thing of been a Xinjianger is that Xinjiang literally has more public holidays！We have 肉孜节Ruzi（1day off）and 古尔邦节Ei dal-Adha（3day off）. You don't have be a muslin to enjoy these holidays，as long as you are there at that time then you can join the holidayI have been missing them a lot since I am currently working far away from my hometownI really want to retire now and return to my little county right away.
We were in Xinjiang last year and this, for a total of 21 days, and traversing north and south. There are 22 ethnic groups in Xinjiang, we were told. We drove through the Grand Canyon, and it was magnificent. But we couldn’t do the 独库公路because my husband is a foreigner. That road is close to a military installation, we were told. There are security checkpoints along the freeways, but all were friendly and no hassles. If these vloggers could speak Chinese, they would certainly have an easier time with the security personnel and less misunderstanding.
Wow 21 days！I have never tried travelling for this long，you really are brave explorers. I'm afraid you know Xinjiang more than I do22 would be the total number of current ethnic groups I guess? I have met Zang(Tibetan) Yugur and BaoAn people when I came back couple years ago. Yes 独库公路 is a bit strictthe 巴音 region of the road does not open for foreigners.
Do they know they're not supposed to have ethnic music and dancing in a concentration camp? That is causing my brain to short circuit because it does not fit the programed algorithm!
That is actually the result of the cultural "genocide". There used to be imams in Xinjiang telling people not to play music as music is against Islam. A lot of Uyghur women wore hijabs or even burkas at that time. The Chinese government put those imams and their core followers in jail (also Uyghur Independence activists) and banned face covering, hence the alleged cultural genocide ("cultural" is typically omitted in western broadcast).
@@taichiwinchester1102 Such a lovely no dancing no singing culture. Let's bring that back and propagate it to the rest of the world so we can all stop suffering.
@@orangetube1 Yeah that's great. Allahu akbar! No I'm just joking, you apparently didn't get my point. I was simply providing a balanced view, by stating facts, to those who are not familiar with the situation or who have been misled by the media. The opposite of propaganda is fact stating not reverse propaganda.
@@taichiwinchester1102 Music is against Islam? I think those ppl should be considered as extremist. They strictly follow their religion, and can have a 10 year old child as wife.
I am chineses and been to Xinjiang once. Xinjiang is 7 times the size of UK. Even in China, which is famous for its infrastructure, even if you can call the police, it will take a long time for them to arrive. So you must pay attention to safety and don't go too deep into the no-man's land. Be careful and have a nice trip
One of the driver ask you for hiking? Actually Tianshan MTN has lots of beautiful hiking trails like Wusun Gudao, Langta C+V, Mengkete etc, you cant find the map from AllTrails APP. Any way, you are so brave man.
After watching several of your china travel videos, I'm kinda getting used to your british accent and deeply impressed by your courage to travel somewhere even the majority of chinese wouldn't go. again, thanks and take care!
Xinjiang(the original name was West Regions before Qing Dynasty), actually is one of the most oldest territories of China from HAN Dynasty, almost 2223 years ago. After the empire HAN defeated the empire HUN, the Han Dynasty established the Protectorate government in the Western Regions.
I just saw your channel for the first time, and I follow CoolVision and.....honestly, I feel cheated being born in the cruddy city I live in. Im living vicariously through you guys because I'll never be able to do this. Asia is just absolutely gorgeous.
It's a Muslim thing to do? I can go on Baidu Map on all the major cities in Xinjiang and see women wearing headscarfs lol. Not the majority but definitely a lot
You haven't seen a lot of American movies, have you? You seemed so calm and and not worry about hitchhiking along the highway. I kept comparing while watching to depictions of people's trips in the US Appalachian mountains of what could have happened in those horror movies... appreciate you show us raw footage of your journey.
@@sabik6979 I knew. Just want to point out the fact that China is safer than what Western media painted it to be. And US should look at the safety of their own vast country before crying wolf.Mike's journey is de facto of the life in Xinjiang that the media need to see before making comments of how bad China treated the indigenous people.
Your videos help debunk the fake news in western media about Xinjiang. Through your videos, you are helping Uyghurs and other people living there to reduce the adverse impact of unfair international sanctions imposed against the people living in Xinjiang. Like everyone else in the world, people there want economic development, good jobs and a better life
A wonderful trip video. But dude it's dangerous to set a thin camp on that cold place. If there is a snowstorm, yep even in this season, you might get stuck.
Now that is some content! Very interesting and stunning landscapes. The crying boy situation was so funny, like you buy him sweets and next scene all is calm and you say yeah, he puked, inside the car xD
Big brother, you're amazing! The journey is completely dependent on riding! Similarly, there are also different perspectives! like👍👍👍 Welcome to Xinjiang~~~
I noticed that it's snowing in some part of Xinjiang, it'll get much colder than the most part of China recently. Do you have any thick coats with you? Plz be prepared and stay safe! 😊
I noticed that almost all the people questioning you as a paid actor in the comments under your video are from Taiwan, which means they are essentially watchdogs fed by American media conglomerates. I couldn't be happier, because the more these watchdogs smear you, the more it proves that you're doing the right thing.🤣
pretty wrong, there were no mongols thousands years ago, 2000 years ago, xinjiang was part of chinese han dynasty, mongol empire only exist 800 years ago, the mongol only expand to xinjiang around that time, the han chinese are one of natives in xinjiang, study more before you make assumptions
the actual natives of South Xinjiang where various Iranian groups called the tocharians who lived in various Oasis kingdoms. they where off and on again incorporated into Chinese empires or nomadic empires. after the tang dynasty a turkic group called the uighurs migrated enmass from Mongolia and basically ethnically cleansed the native tocharians replacing them as the dominant group, similar to what happened in Constantinople Greece with nomadic Turks assimilating and turning the city Turkish. but yes Han Chinese have a longer history of being in Xinjiang than the uighurs have, same as Greeks and Armenians have a longer history in Asia minor than Turks can ever dream of having.
The Han Chinese never settled in East Turkestan. They controlled the area as a protectorate through Turkic and other local mercenaries. The Uyghurs trace their ancestry to Turkic, Hunnic and the local Tocharian and Scythian population. It's evident in their DNA. So they are the natives of the land.
Now if we use your logic then the Xiongnu/Huns, who are direct ancestors of the Uyghur were there before the Han. Or you could also claim England and much of western Europe is Italian because at one point it was controlled by Rome. Doesn't make much sense does it?
@@twolf4764 Today's Italians and Roman are two different things, how about Romania who claimed they are the people of Roman empire? Today's English people surely have genes form the Romen people. So it's weird to say Italians can claim today's England and use it as an example.
You are very brave to travel this way. I can not imagine myself walking in the middle of nowhere in Xinjiang, coz it's just too vast, too wild. Be safe, always. Safety first!
To this Chinese friend - I think Mike was being ironic in the title of his video. FYI I am a New Zealander with fluent Chinese. I also think you are mistaken in saying Mike is "hostile to the police". Nothing he or the police did or said in this video showed any hostility that I could see. He treated them with normal courtesy and they politely did their job, and it seemed to me that Mike respected that !..
