Getting a clear picture of Xinjiang

Photographer Kurbanjan Samat in his office in Beijing.

Photographer Kurbanjan Samat isn't surprised his first book is a hit. But he is surprised at its power to counter prejudice against natives of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The photo book, which provides portraits of the everyday lives of people from Xinjiang, has sold more than 50,000 copies since its October release (10,000 copies is the threshold for a best-seller in China).

Most of the people profiled live outside Xinjiang. Others have relatives or comparable connections to the autonomous region.

One reason the 32-year-old expected such success is the popularity of similar photo-story packages he created for 163.com, one of China's biggest news sites.

Kurbanjan has been working on the documentary film I Am from Xinjiang since late last year. He was inspired by the employment and housing challenges people from the autonomous region face outside its borders.

He hopes the film shows that Xinjiang natives share the same hopes, dreams and ambitions as anyone in China.

Prejudice against people from Xinjiang was exacerbated by the March 1 terrorist attack in Yunnan province's capital Kunming that killed 29 people and injured more than 130. Kurbanjan says he - and people like him - subsequently experienced difficulty getting taxis, hotel rooms and service at gas stations.