China Renames Hundreds of Uyghur Villages and Towns, Human Rights Groups Claim

According to research published by Human Rights Watch and Uyghur Hjelp, between 2009 and 2023, the Chinese government has renamed approximately 630 communities in Xinjiang. The name changes aim to remove religious, historical, or cultural references, replacing them with words that reflect the ruling Communist Party's ideology. Common replacements include "Happiness", "Unity", and "Harmony". Rights groups have analyzed official data from this period, confirming the systematic renaming of hundreds of villages with significant meaning for Uighurs. Traditional Uyghur terms such as "dutar" (a string instrument) or "mazar" have been removed from village names, replaced by words that align with the government's ideology.