New York Times Lens Project: Carolyn Drake and Xinjiang

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/in-xinjiang-exploring-a-changing-story/

Another amazing photographic project. Carolyn Drake traveled through Central Asia and Xinjiang and documented part of her latter trip here. The photos that struck me the most were the ones showing demolitions of Kashgar. Literally, an entire culture is being wiped out within China's borders. When I was in Shanghai, there were a chain of Lanzhou restaurants run by ethnic Uyghurs who had traveled to the city from their hometowns. It's indicative of a broader trend that's happening in Xinjiang--human migration out of the area to more sustainable economic opportunities in China's booming regions. They're leaving behind their homes, their way of life, their cultural roots, because life in Shanghai and the urban centers are much different. By the time I am able to travel to West China (if I can get past all the government-imposed travel restrictions), there will be no Xinjiang as we currently know it.