PLACE WITH DIVERSE CULTURES
Xinjiang is home to 47 ethnic groups including Han, Uygurs, Kazaks, Mongols and Tajiks.
Kurbanjan finds misconceptions on Xinjiang and China exist in all parts of the world. Last year, he visited the Indonesia island of Bali. A customs officer at the airport questioned his Chinese identity based on his Uygur appearance.
"The officer thought I was from Turkey, India, Iran or even Mexico, but not China," Kurbanjan remembers. "I cannot speak English. The officer tried to speak Chinese, but it was very broken and I couldn't understand him, which he took as evidence that I wasn't Chinese."
A Chinese tourist behind Kurbanjan in the line was irritated. "He told the officer that China has 56 ethnic groups with diverse cultures. They are all Chinese."
It is such kinds of misunderstandings abroad that have encouraged Kurbanjan to accept invitations from overseas Chinese students and academics to make a lecture tour at U.S. universities, starting at Harvard last month.
The title of his speech is "Promoting exchange with love: I am from Xinjiang," referencing the first Chinese character he learned to write at school, "love".
A student from Clemson University wrote him a note: "Allow me to say thanks. You make people from China, America and other parts of the world better understand Xinjiang and its diverse cultures."
The principle of love and its usefulness in promoting mutual understandings between different ethnic groups seem more effective than other things Kurbanjan remembers learning at school. He believes Chinese education puts too much emphasis on the differences of ethnic groups.
One textbook given to Kurbanjan as a youngster depicted Han people as characters wearing white towels tied around their heads and a drum on their waists, and Uygurs as dancers with flowery hats.
Kurbanjan says he has never seen any of his Han friends don a white towel. His Uygur buddy Perhat Halik, a Chinese celebrity who won second place in reality show Voice of China 2014, is not good at dancing.
He talks in a roundabout way when asked why he thinks he has found success among the many professionals to have shot photos and film about Xinjiang.
Some would say his own ethnic identity makes him stand out, but Kurbanjan emphasizes that he doesn't represent any group or region. He represents himself.
"When I take pictures and shoot films, I'm trying to make myself better and understand the real nature of human beings," he says, hoping to bring more people to know the real Xinjiang and its people.
