Sonny Yang
Chairman, Florida Splendid China
3000 Splendid China
Blvd.
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
Dear Mr. Yang,
On behalf of the Uyghur community in the United States, we are writing to discuss our deep concerns about certain exhibits at the Florida Splendid China theme park that are inappropriate.
We are concerned with the Id Gah Mosque exhibit and the fact that it is an Uyghur structure designed and built by the Uyghur people and used for religious purposes since the 15th century. The inclusion of this exhibit in the Florida Splendid China theme park wrongly implies that our homeland, Eastern Turkestan is somehow Chinese. As well, the information presented by the tour guides and on signs in the park is incorrect and represents a distortion of our history and culture. It is absolute hypocrisy that during the current harsh crackdown and control of religion inside the people's Republic of China, that Florida Splendid China and the Chinese government would include a religious icon of the people of Eastern Turkestan, such as the Id Gah Mosque.
We are also concerned by the inclusion of an exhibit known to us as 'Tomb of Apak Hoja', but renamed in Florida Splendid China as the 'Tomb of Xiang Fei'. In addition to actually renaming the exhibit to make it appear Chinese, it's inclusion in Florida Splendid China wrongly implies that that our homeland is somehow Chinese. As with the Id Gah Mosque exhibit, there are gross distortions of our history and culture with the information presented in signs and by the tour guides. Apak Hoja was a famous political and religious leader of the independent Uyghur country in the 16th Century. The Tomb was built for him when he died more than two centuries before Iparhan (Xiang Fei) was even born, therefore we Uyghurs call the Tomb 'Apak Hoja Tomb', not by a Chinese name 'Xiang Fei'. It is amazing that the tour guide refers to Apak Hoja (a definite male name) and Xiang Fei, the fragrant concubine, as the same person. We believe it is not a careless mistake to mix up Apak Hoja with Iparhan, but it is a deliberate act of distortion of Uyghur history.
As Uyghurs, we know the history of our country and our great monuments. The representations in Florida Splendid China are inaccurate, false and misleading and we demand that they be removed immediately.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Sincerely,
Huji Turdi
General Secretary
Uyghur American Association