Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival
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Uyghur Doppa Cultural festival, also called Doppa Cultural Festival, Doppa festival, Doppa Day, Uyghur Doppa Medeniyet Bayrimi, Doppa bayrimi, 维吾尔花帽文化节，花帽节，朵帕节 in Chinese，or Uygur Doppa Kültür Festivali in Turkish, is one of the most prominent cultural festivals for Uyghur people living in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.
According to some scholars, doppa means "top bar" in Old Uyghur. In English this means "there is our group."
History
Unlike other Uyghur religious festivals celebrated by the Muslim community, such as Qurban (kurban Eiyt Festival) and rozi eyit (eyit ramizan), the Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival does not have a long history . The festival was created by Tahir Imin, an independent researcher and social activist. In Urumqi in 2009, the celebration was broadcast by the central China broadcasting station in Beijing and publicized through Uyghur websites. In Xinjiang in 2010, this festival was held and organized by the students of Beijing Normal University and supported by the Beijing Municipal religious and ethnic affairs administration bureau officials.
By 2011, Uyghur Doppa was celebrated all around China, especially in the southern and northern parts of Xinjiang, and a meeting and seminar on the festival was organized by the Yakan (shache) county and Kashgar Prefecture local Government. The festival celebrates Uyghur culture and development.
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According to festival tradition, on May 5 each year, all people who like to wear the doppa on their heads are called to wear their doppa together and celebrate their national identity. People are encouraged to do good deeds and to help others. In this way, people from other cultures are exposed to part of the Uyghur culture and presented with a cultural bridge to understand this minority population.
Events:
2007, December: Tahir Imin drafts the first plan for Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival in both Uighur and Chinese languages.
2008, April: Tahir Imin individually presents the 50-page plan to introduce Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival to influential Uighur scholars and social leaders including Imin Tursun, Mijit Nasir, and Abdul Qadir Jalaluddin, thereby obtaining spiritual support and advice.
2009, May 4: The first Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival Committee convenes to discuss the festival's name, date, events, legal eligibility, and potential impact and confirms that it could bring a new revival and awareness of Uyghur identity and cultural unity. The Committee also resolves to seek support from the Chinese government in order to avoid any political conflict with local authorities. The noted scholars D.Hesenjan Abliz and Abdubesir Shukir are selected by Tahir Imin as primary founders of The Doppa Culture and Festival.
2009, May 5: Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival is publicized by prominent Uyghur websites www.salkin.cn and diyarim.com. Influential news about the festival is also broadcast by CNR Uighur program from Beijing, which expands awareness beyond the Uyghur community. This latter journalistic pursuit is initiated by CNR reporter Memetjana from Qarmay, who is later sentenced to life in prison for his coverage of the July 2009 Ürümqi riots. Memetjana interviews Tahir Imin by telephone and relays his correspondence to Abduqadir Hashim, a famed reporter for Uyghur CNR.
2010, May 7: Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival is celebrated by more than 2,000 Uyghur students from all colleges in Beijing Normal University. Involved students publish news, pictures, and videos of the event and greatly influence young Uyghur students across inland China and Xinjiang.
2011, May 3: The Festival is officially celebrated in Yarkan county of Kashgar by more than 5,000 Uyghurs, including local officials and prominent writers.
2012, May: The Festival is celebrated by many Uyghurs around the world, including those in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Germany, and USA. In Kazakhstan, Uyghur youth establish an organization known as Doppa Life. Turkish media outlet TRT begins its annual coverage of Doppa Festival on its Uyghur language channel.
2016: Azaz Media introduces Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival as a new cultural phenomenon to modern Uighur society in Xinjiang in order to enhance national self-awareness and traditional cultural unity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6wBDk1ZXGY
2017, May 7: Uyghur Academy in Turkey celebrates the festival and introduces academic research to its participants.
References
Most of the references are In local newspapers, Uyghur Local websites, radio programs, and prominent Chinese websites.
7-Uyghur Academy Website: The Doppa In Uighur Hat culture http://www.akademiye.org/ug/?p=8491 8-
