Lai Yuning is a photojournalist based in Ili in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He is a witness to the rapid transformation of the city of Khorgos - a place he feels a deep affection for. Thanks to aid initiatives supported by the eastern city of Suzhou, the infrastructure in Khorgos has in recent years undergone profound development. Through his own photographs and those of his mentor Wang Minbin, Lai hopes to show how these changes are fueling the ambitions of ordinary people in the city.