Full coverage: Xinjiang: Exploring China’s New Frontier

Q1. Very interesting story. But, Hanbin, Xinjiang's official name is the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Why is the opening story about a Kazakh village?

Xinjiang is also a region undergoing modernization

When people talk about Xinjiang, there’re often misconceptions, for example: Xinjiang belongs only to Uyghurs; or it used to be an independent region; or it’s an isolated region of unrest. We would like to break the stereotypes about this region. In fact, Xinjiang is like any other place in China that is in the process of modernization. Many problems here have also appeared elsewhere in China.

But the situation in Xinjiang is more complicated, as it involves ethnic and religion issues, especially as they come against the backdrop of globalization. The reason we chose a Kazakh village story to begin, is not only because this story has amazing characters and stunning geographical images, but also because the issue it touches is one of the key issues Xinjiang is facing today.

Q2. What can we expect from this series? And what are you trying to achieve with 18 episodes?

Series provides close-up look at Xinjiang

The 18 episodes cover a wide range of issues about Xinjiang's past, present, and future. The series is issues driven with human stories. Xinjiang is at the crossroads of development, where modernization versus tradition becomes a key balancing act. And the bigger challenge is people have different views on how to bring positive changes. It’s an extraordinary experience to explore this region, which not many outsiders, even Chinese, are familiar with. It’s not about the number of stories; it’s how to present Xinjiang in the global context. All of the issues are not only happening in Xinjiang, all of the issues may not have simple answers. We hope our stories help viewers form their own perspectives. I'd say understanding is what the Xinjiang special is trying to achieve.