STORY: Former cotton pickers embrace new life in Xinjiang
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Nov. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:42
LOCATION: URUMQI, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Xinjiang
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): NAFISA IBRAHIM, Daughter of Ibrahim Turghun
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery

STORYLINE:

For Ibrahim Turghun and Atigul Imit, the tradition of harvesting cotton with manual labor is a thing of the past.

The couple from Kashgar in southern Xinjiang manage 5 mu (0.33 hectares) of cotton fields.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery
"We used to pick up cotton ourselves, but now we use cotton pickers."

As mechanization gave Turghun more free time, he and his wife explored other opportunities to increase their income.

Yanqi Hui Autonomous County sits within the grape-planting "golden zone" of 30 to 50 degrees north latitude.

Over the last 20 years, the county has transformed nearly 6,700 hectares of the Gobi Desert into vineyards.

Wineries have provided employment opportunities for locals with better salaries and working conditions.

In February 2023, the couple went to work at a local winery at the suggestion of a fellow villager.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery
"A fellow villager of mine recommended this place. They said that the place they worked at is very nice.
We work here from March to November, together earning between 60,000 yuan and 70,000 yuan (about 8,280 to 9,660 USD). The condition here is excellent. If you have any questions, just ask the staff. They can take care of it."

A year later, Ibrahim Turghun and Atigul Imit brought their daughter to live with them.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): NAFISA IBRAHIM, Daughter of Ibrahim Turghun
"I'm very happy studying at a school here. I met a lot of friends and the teachers also cared about me. My dream is to be a painter. I must study hard to realize my dream."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): IBRAHIM TURGHUN, Staffer of a local winery
"We may work here for five or six years. If we could buy a house here, we would also bring our parents here."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China.
(XHTV)