Fighting stereotypes with a camera

Kurbanjan Samat believes pictures and real stories are the most eloquent way to talk about Xinjiangers. The pictures are some of the Xinjiangners he has taken photos of, and they are active in all walks of life across the nation.

Love at first buy

His love of photography began in 1999, "accidentally".

Planning to spend his savings of 3,000 yuan ($484) on a guitar to charm the girls at school, he was instead captivated by a camera shop's display on his way to the guitar store.

Kurbanjan went in and bought his first SLR.

He has been obsessed with taking pictures of beautiful landscapes and the diverse cultures in Xinjiang ever since.

In 2006, he came to Beijing, in search of a job and a better life.

Here he met his wife, a Beijing-born Uygur, held a number of award-winning photo exhibitions and participated in the shooting of documentary films, but he was troubled by one thing - people's lack of understanding of Xinjiangers.

When he first arrived in Beijing, the quick-tempered Kurbanjan preferred to use his fists when he heard anyone speaking ill of people.