Aytunam Ablikim, known as Aytuna on social media, didn't expect her vlogs could bring her some 1.4 million followers. Two years ago, Aytuna began to post self-made videos online – first about horses at a stud farm where she worked, and then about her everyday life in Xinjiang.

The Uygur vlogger said she prefers to film what's most down-to-earth in her hometown in Hotan, southern Xinjiang, and answer all kinds of questions from people outside of the region, including about family, traditional habits, love, marriage, education and work. "I film whatever they want to know," said Aytuna. "What we think is common, turns out to be really interesting in their eyes."

Aytuna mentioned that she's aware of the stereotypes about Xinjiang that many people used to have. She now has about 300,000 to 400,000 views a day. And each click, she said, means she's helped one more person to better learn about Xinjiang.

"After they watch my videos, they realize that we're a very warm people and our society is very stable, everyone has their own life and job, and you can see smiles on the faces of every stranger," said Aytuna.

What impressed Aytuna most is that many of her followers chose to work in Xinjiang or travel to Xinjiang after watching her videos. "Through the internet, they get to know the real Xinjiang people – that most of us speak good Mandarin, or even English and other languages," she added.

Aytuna's videos are also gaining popularity overseas, which, however, also brought her unexpected trouble. For one, a vlog of her and her mother making a dress at a tailor shop was branded as forced needlework on Twitter by Ilshat H. Kokbore, a senior member of the World Uygur Congress.

Aytuna said she was angry and shocked because the so-called forced labor was with her neighbor. "The door was open – I was there to buy clothes, they were there to learn techniques – it was incredible that it could be twisted into something like that," she said.

Aytuna thought the best response to these statements is to live her life as it is. She said she would continue to share the real-life moments of a young Uygur woman in Xinjiang via vlogs and livestreams, as well as the progress in infrastructure and women's status that she's personally experienced.

"I doubt whether the Xinjiang they talk about is the same place as I'm living in now. I live a happy life, obviously. And when they insisted that we're suffering from a human rights crisis, I was like - Uh? How come?" Aytuna said.

An increasing number of people in China's Xinjiang has broken into the cultural sector in recent years, finding their way to screens and stages across the country. Aytuna said she could felt that Xinjiang has been developing very fast in recent years, especially in terms of how people's thoughts and values have changed. Therefore she has also seen more and more Xinjiang residents like her making their voices heard in cyberspace.

"Ten years ago, people of my age worry every day about how to work and support their families. But today, we enjoy a rich spiritual life. What we want now is not just what we need to survive but more of an improvement of our inner world. So in addition to our daily life, we can also develop some hobbies and interests, and then we share them with others – which is good," she said. The voices of these social media influencers, she believed, will all contribute to helping the rest of the world know more about the land she calls home.

(Cover: Aytuna [R] recording a vlog with her mother. /CGTN)