Returning to get married in her hometown in the historical city of Kashgar in 2010, Arkin found that most local women had to wear conservative dresses and were not allowed to leave their home freely while the city was shrouded in the shadow of religious extremism. Her relatives were against her wearing a white wedding gown, and even her decision to open a bridal shop four years later in 2014 was met with family opposition.
With a loan from the All-China Women's Federation, she managed to go into the bridal business and says that she is now able to help local women in changing their mind about dressing up.
Mardan Ablimit, a coffee shop owner who grew up along the bank of the Tuman River, is another young talent in Kashgar who is open to try new things in the old city with a history of over 2,000 years. Ablimit earned business success by adding local spices into coffee, and has been encouraging more locals to launch their own businesses.
