Flying solo , an Uyghur man's inland tour

Dulkun shows the flag he is carrying, reading "all ethnic groups should live in peace".

On Feb. 26, 2014, he arrived in Hunan Province. Three days later, a terrorist attack at the Kunming Railway Station shocked the world. The attack, leaving 29 civilians dead and more than 140 injured, was attributed to an Islamic separatist group from Xinjiang.

Dulkun learned the dreadful news from TV while sitting inside a roadside shop. Before he realized what had actually happened, the shop owner came over to him and said, "Look, that's what you Uyghurs have done."

That was the turning point of his trip. Hati immediately called him from their hometown and advised him not to travel at night for safety reasons.

"I am worried about Dulkun's safety. Many people hold biased views towards Xinjiang and the Uyghurs after the Kunming terrorist attack. It made his tour even more significant," Hati said.

With a long beard and strong figure, Dulkun's Uyghur characteristics are noted clearly at a mere glance. People took to their heels the moment he would ask for directions. Some hotels refused to accept him. One supermarket even refused to sell him any food and drink.

In Huaihua, his bicycle broke down. Some local Uyghurs donated 2,000 yuan to buy him a motorcycle, even though their own business wasn't doing well since the Kunming incident.

On March 22, Dulkun was suddenly stopped by policemen on a downtown bridge in Changsha. Hearing about his experiences, a police officer posted an article on local forum, calling on people to lend their support.

The slight hint caused a big stir. Soon after, people began to show their sympathy and support for the pioneer. Some invited him over for dinner and others helped repair his motorcycle. Local media even came to interview him.

Dulkun became an Internet sensation. In late March, he received a call from his father who asked him not to take any interviews from the media to ensure his public safety.

"I'm beginning to miss my son. It's time for me to go home now," concluded Dulkun. By that time, he had made his way through eight provinces -- Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Hunan.