Rexiti Yimiti

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Rexiti Yimiti, Male, Uyghur, from Xinjiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-160). The tradition is documented in Xinjiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang: The naan-making craft is widely spread across the 14 prefectures (prefecture-level cities) of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and radiates outward; the breadth of its spread is rarely seen among other pasta crafts. Though practices everywhere belong to one lineage, the division of oil naan, sugar naan, meat naan, and sesame naan is not uniform: meat and oil naan are common in the grassland pastoral areas, while in the Gobi oases wheat-flour sugar naan predominates, with finer methods and more seasonings. The shape of the naan pit varies by locality: river valleys and oases mostly use fixed brick-built pits, while suburbs and markets see movable iron-sheet stoves; the actions of opening the fire, pasting naan, and taking naan out are done at the pit mouth—one batch pasted, one batch lifted—the rhythm set by the strength of the fire, which differs from the Central Plains' hanging-oven baking and griddle cooking. Naan occupies an important place in the daily life of the various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, especially the Uygur, playing an important role in various life ceremonies from newborn naming and cradle ceremonies to weddings and funerals. Naan serves as a gift for hosting guests, giving presents, and keeping mementos; thus the spread of this craft often travels with marriages and visiting relatives and friends rather than relying solely on shops. This spread route differs from ordinary culinary crafts: its transmission venues are the corners of weddings, naming ceremonies, and markets, not a single workshop. The history of naan in Xinjiang can be traced back very early. A great many archaeological finds prove that the embryonic form of naan already existed more than 3,000 years ago at Wubao, Hami, Xinjiang; more than 1,300 years ago, naan was already fairly common as a food in Xinjiang. In ancient times the Central Plains called naan "hubing"; the method of making hubing is recorded in "Qimin Yaoshu · Bingfa 82nd" by Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei, showing that its introduction into the Central Plains is also traceable. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region lies in the heart of the Eurasian continent, on the northwestern border of the motherland, with a typical temperate continental arid climate, scant precipitation, and high evaporation. Animal husbandry and crop cultivation coexist here, and raw materials such as flour, corn flour, milk, mutton, onion, and flax are all available, which is why naan could become an everyday staple rather than a festival pastry.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Rexiti Yimiti is anchored in the documented technical standards of Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang: The naan-making craft is a traditional pasta-making craft widely spread across the 14 prefectures (prefecture-level cities) of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and radiating outward. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region lies in the heart of the Eurasian continent, on the northwestern border of the motherland, with a typical temperate continental arid climate, scant precipitation, and high evaporation; its agriculture and animal husbandry are developed and its products abundant, providing fine raw materials for naan making. Naan is a round cake made mainly from wheat flour or corn flour, mostly leavened and baked with various seasonings, an extremely characteristic yet extremely common food in Xinjiang. The types of naan are roughly oil naan, sugar naan, meat naan, sesame naan, etc., with many varieties and differing flavors. Naan is mostly baked in a naan pit (tandoor); different kinds of naan have different making methods, but all go through a series of procedures: mixing dough, resting dough, pinching dough pieces, making the naan blank, stamping patterns, heating the naan pit, adjusting the pit temperature, and pasting the blank into the pit to bake. The naan-making technique demands high skill, mainly manifested in the naan maker's precise control of baking temperature and time, which complement and constrain each other. The heat has an important effect on naan quality, mainly consisting of top fire and bottom fire. Top fire determines the naan's shape and color; bottom fire determines its expansion and crispness. Baking time is controlled according to the blank's size, thickness, and baking temperature. When making naan, salt is used but not alkali and soda. Besides flour, oil, sugar, egg, mutton, milk, onion, sesame, black cumin seed, and salt are respectively chosen as seasonings. The naan-making craft has a very long history in Xinjiang. A great many archaeological finds prove that the embryonic form of naan already existed more than 3,000 years ago at Wubao, Hami, Xinjiang. More than 1,300 years ago, naan was already fairly common as a food in Xinjiang. In ancient times the Central Plains called naan "hubing"; "Qimin Yaoshu · Bingfa 82nd" by Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei records the method of making hubing. The naan-making craft provides important material for further studying the dietary structure and customs of the various ethnic groups in Xinjiang's history, as well as the formation of a regionally characteristic culinary culture. Naan occupies a very important place in the daily life of the various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, especially the Uygur, playing an important role in various life ceremonies from newborn naming and cradle ceremonies to weddings and funerals; its making craft and eating customs hold important social and cultural value. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Mixing, resting and portioning": Salt is used but never alkali or baking soda, so the blank itself is mild and depends on the fire and toppings for its character. "Stamping the rosette": Pricking the centre-thick, edge-thin blank into a rosette both decorates it and evens out the heat so the middle cooks through. "Firing and regulating the oven pit": The pit must be fired and its heat regulated before a blank can be attached, the first gate of the whole bake. "Top flame and bottom flame": The top flame sets shape and colour, the bottom flame sets swelling and flakiness, and the two must be matched.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Rexiti Yimiti was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship, with Xinjiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Xinjiang as its declared area, and Xinjiang Art Research Institute (Xinjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Research Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Rexitiyimiti (Xinjiang) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Rexitiyimiti · China ICH Official Archive