s an indispensable part of China, Xinjiang is geographically, economically, and politically important to the whole country. Over the past decade, it has witnessed incredible development in many aspects of people’s lives. My hometown, Yili, has undergone earth-shaking changes as well. It is located in the north of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which is world famous for its spectacular natural resources and tourist attractions.

As soon as Yili is mentioned, what automatically comes to people’s minds is a city surrounded by lofty mountains, beautiful grasslands, and sweet rivers; it attracts thousands of tourists every year. However, when I was very little, the city was quite different: it had unrepaired roads, no tall apartment buildings, no trains, low income, and high unemployment. After going through many hardships and struggles, my people finally have a peaceful and comfortable life.

Explaining economic development and its influence on our lives is all well and good, but I find myself wanting to mention significant changes in education. About ten years ago when I was in primary school, nine-year compulsory education was not wide spread. Many parents let their children drop out without incurring any legal liability or sanction. One of my classmates dropped out in grade four because his parents thought school tuition was too expensive and that he, who was only nine years old, should shoulder his share of helping in the family business. When he was eleven, he died of carbon monoxide poisoning because of sleeping alone in his enclosed machine room that had a smoky, half-lit fire in the stove. This heartrending tragedy happened because of ignorant parents and a broken educational system. Today, children enjoy rights to free education. Parents who let their children drop out of school are subjected to strict legal punishment; they can even be sent to prison. For me, compared to other economic or political transformations of the last ten years, this change is most pleasing and meaningful.

The world is continually evolving; China is developing, and so is my hometown. After ten years, everything has a fresh, new look today. Doubtless, we will have a completely different world in the next decade. The most important thing is that we should progress rather than retrogress. I am confident enough in the future to imagine after another decade my hometown will make incredible, positive economic and educational changes.

This is one of the featured articles by SES Writing Workshop. The author, Aynur Abdurahman, is an undergraduate student of the School of English Studies, Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). The supervisor, Curtis Evans, is a foreign expert and international research fellow at SISU.