The opening sentences of the story, in both the Galland and the Burton versions, set it in China: and imply, at least, that Aladdin is Chinese.[5] On the other hand - there is nothing in the rest of the story that is inconsistent with a Persian or Arabian setting. For instance, most of the people in the story are Muslims, and their conversation is larded with devout Muslim platitudes. A Jewish merchant buys Aladdin's wares (and incidentally cheats him), but there is no mention of Buddhists or Confucians (or other distinctively Chinese people). The Sultan is referred to as such rather being called the "Emperor", as in some re-tellings. In spite of this rather tenuous link, some commentators have suggested that the story might be set in Turkestan (encompassing Central Asia and the modern Chinese province of Xinjiang).,[6] but this speculation depends on a knowledge of China that the teller of a folk tale (as opposed to a geographic expert) might well not possess.[7]
