Urumqi: How does a one-time primary school dropout get to be the general manager and proprietor of one of the most popular and upmarket restaurant chains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region?

Kerim Mamuti, a 57-year-old businessman based in Urumqi, the capital city of the region, considers the question briefly, before saying: "I got the two essential lessons of my life from my parents. The first is you must have the courage to face reality. The second is you must be hard-working and sharp at seizing opportunities."

Mamuti has lived by these maxims for the whole of his life and abided by them whenever he had to face tough decisions. They have led him from early educational failure to being the owner of the Miraj chain of restaurants, which are regarded as among the best in the region.