Journey Into China’s Most Guarded Province with Paul Wong #1183

 

In 2019, a year after China intensified its anti-terrorism crackdown in Xinjiang, Paul Wong traveled across the region to witness the situation firsthand. The Chinese government cited violent incidents by Uyghur extremists—such as the 2009 Urumqi riots, 2013 Tiananmen car attack, and 2014 Kunming railway station massacre—as justification for the crackdown. However, Paul believes economic motives, rarely discussed by officials or Western observers, played a major role.

 

Even a year later, security in Xinjiang was overwhelming. Surveillance was so tight that not even a fly could escape unnoticed. In 2017, BBC correspondent John Sudworth tested the system and was arrested within seven minutes by local police, not knowing it was a controlled experiment. By 2021, Sudworth had to relocate to Taiwan due to pressure from Chinese authorities. Paul managed to navigate Xinjiang’s surveillance for two and a half days. At one checkpoint, hundreds of kilometers from Hotan, known for its jade reserve and production, officials flagged his U.S. passport. His driver received constant check-ins, and a dozen local and national police awaited him at his destination. His mission? To see a 500-year-old walnut tree—despite it not being in bloom—making it quite an adventure.

 

Paul, member #1183, was born in Cambodia after his parents fled China on a motorless wooden boat to escape famine. During the Cambodian genocide, China refused to save Chinese refugees from massacre, saying they had abandoned the homeland and were no longer Chinese, leaving Paul stateless. To survive, Paul escaped to Thailand, journeying across the country and taking on odd jobs—including making moonshine with mountain tribes, fishing on Mekong River, duck farming on Tiger Mountain, and even covert gold conveyance. Eventually, he immigrated to the United States, where he worked nearly 40 years in the public sector. After retiring in 2015, Paul discovered his true talent and went on to quadruple his savings, building substantial wealth while traveling the world. His often spontaneous, globe-trotting adventures led him into many extraordinary situations—some life-threatening, ultimately earning him the title Adventurer of the Year in 2019.