I knew the word Yakexi long before I could find Xinjiang on China’s map. I understood the Uygur word for “good, great” thanks to my father, who was a solider attached to a unit charged with conducting atomic tests at Lop Nur in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

By the time radios and televisions became popular in my village in East China’s Shandong province in late 1980s, I suddenly found myself humming a tune called Our Xinjiang is a Nice Place.

The lyrics go something like: ‘’Our Xinjiang is a nice place, Good pastures in south and north Tianshan Mountain, Gebi sand become fertile farmland, thawing snow irrigate the village…. Grapes and fruits are sweet, coal, iron, gold and silver are everywhere, our beautiful countryside, our lovely hometown… ”

How nice is Xinjiang? I asked my father, who served there with Unit 8023.

“They have the best grapes and superb Hami muskmelon,” he answered. I suspected that he might be exaggerating, but it turns out that even today dried grapes produced in Xinjiang are still regarded as valuable gifts. See what happens the next time you bring Xinjiang grapes to your Chinese friends. “Thin skin, fine pulp, crispy, refreshing, more juice, and bright color…” These words are often reserved to describe Xinjiang grapes.

My later research also found this popular piece of music was actually adapted from a Uygur folk song by Liu Zhi (1921 -1928), who was a famous, prolific composer. The tune has stayed etched in my mind and stands testament to how cultural exchange between different ethnic groups - specifically between Han and Uygur in Xinjiang - can be bi-directional and mutually beneficial.

China Daily online reporter Uking Sun will visit Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from August 3 to 9. If you have any questions about Xinjiang, such as its economy, culture, history and religion, please feel free to leave your comments here, and he will try his best to help.