China’s leaders are spending $3.5 billion on Yinchuan to turn it into a “World Muslim City,” decorated with a mosque-like “Golden Palace,” Arabic street signs, and an elaborate light and dance show. A 900,000 square-foot terminal is also being added at the nearby airport to accommodate the hoped-for flocks of Arab tourists.
Since 1958, Yinchuan, a city 600 miles west of Beijing, has been the capital of the Ningxia region governed by China’s Hui Muslims. It is part of the government’s larger bid to improve relations with the Arab world by emphasizing shared Sino-Arab history and culture. China has come under criticism for its repressive treatment of Muslims, especially the Uighurs—Turkic-speaking Muslims who live in the country’s Xinjian region.
Last year, Turkey criticised China’s policies, prompting protesters in Istanbul to attack local Chinese establishments. In December, the Islamic State released a chant, in fluent Mandarin, calling on Muslims to “wake up” and overcome “a century of slavery.”
It is in Beijing’s interest to promote a more positive image of Chinese Islam. President Xi Jinping published a white paper in January detailing his ambitious plans to increase China’s influence in the Middle East.
The Hui Muslims are treated more favourably than the Uighurs in the Chinese society. They, unlike Uighurs, speak Mandarin and are ethnically related to the Han majority. Their name is less likely to be affiliated in relation to terrorism or police crackdowns. By building the theme park in Yinchuan, Chinese leaders are trying to shift the focus to this officially approved version of Islam.
So far, the park has drawn few visitors. As Beijing continues to crack down on human rights and free expression, China’s Muslim Disneyland comes off as another expensive, ill-conceived attempt to artificially beautify a defective civil society.
