China's recent “Belt and Road" initiative, which aims to promote connectivity and cooperation with Eurasian countries, has put Xinjiang on the frontier of the country's Reform and Opening up revolution. As is with many of China's less developed areas, the modernization process in Xinjiang has been one of pains and gains.
Xinjiang has long been riddled with controversy, but Josh Summers, a Urumqi-based American blogger, has been trying to set the record straight, one post at a time.
The 33-year-old man has spent a decade exploring China’s far west with his family.
“Xinjiang impresses me because of its variety. It has a variety of cultures and customs that continuously keep me interested. It’s not just the scenery, it’s the people, in addition to the scenery,” Summers, author of the blog “Far West China,” told CCTV’s reporter Han Bin.
"We are heading through Turpan’s Flaming Mountains to the ancient village of Tuyoq, one of my favorite places in Xinjiang. Most people only have the opportunity to see Xinjiang from inside a bus or a car, but we can really feel the wind, to see 360 degrees around you, that’s what makes a bike so much fun."
For years, the unrest in China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been a focus of some western media. Security measures are strict there to ensure stability, but it is not an isolated place closed in the face of foreigners.
“If all I know about Xinjiang is what I read in the news, I would probably be a little worried about my safety as well. But I have lived here for a number of years, and I have never once felt unsafe. I’ve even brought my family out here”, he said.
"I believe curiosity is a God-given gift to cause us to ask why, to discover new things. Curiosity makes us explore what we don’t understand, and that is what really draws me to Xinjiang."
The brainchild of Summers aims to provide an alternative narrative about the region, and attempts to counter stereotypes.
“In the beginning, blogging was an outlet for me. It’s really something that is therapeutic for me,” he said.
According to Summers, the adjectives “poor, rich, historical, modern”, apply to this region all at once. Watch the video to know more of what he had to say about Xinjiang.
(Written by Han Bin)
