White hair, blue eyes but a true Xinjianger

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April 28, 2021

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White hair, blue eyes but a true Xinjianger

Source: Xinhua | 00:00 UTC+8 April 28, 2021 |

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One has to resist the impulse to speak English with Li Yizu, an 83-year-old man with curly white hair, blue eyes and other classic Western features.

While Li is genetically a foreigner, he was adopted and raised by a Chinese family in Beijing.

“Don’t call me a foreigner. I’m Chinese, and more specifically, a Xinjianger,” Li says.

Li spent his childhood and finished his education in Beijing. Out of love for adventure, he chose to study geological surveying and prospecting in college.

Upon graduation in 1961, Li applied to work in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a major hub for mineral resources. He came to Xinjiang one year later, and never left.

He worked on the prospecting team of the local coal mine geological bureau, traveling over mountains, the Gobi desert and other landscapes across Xinjiang to search for valuable minerals.

After retirement, Li refused to sit idle and volunteered to give public lectures on Xinjiang’s diverse geology.

“The natural scenery in Xinjiang is impressive, and local people’s kindness is even more so. I’m happy living here,” Li said.

An avid fan of photography, he has taken over 10,000 pictures of scenery and daily life in Xinjiang, recording the sea of change over six decades.

Despite being in his 80s, Li still has a sharp mind. He uploads his photos to online albums and shares them on WeChat.

He calls himself the “Chinese tamarisk on the plateau” online, referring to a drought-resilient plant popular in Xinjiang.

“These photos show the real Xinjiang, a beautiful, hospitable place worthy of lifelong exploration,” Li said, dismissing some fake Western reports on Xinjiang as rumors with ulterior motives.

His foreign looks still draw strangers’ attention, but Li has no interest in tracing his origin. “I have never applied for a passport nor been abroad. I enjoy my life in my motherland China.”

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White hair, blue eyes but a true Xinjianger

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