Across China: Rocky road to happiness in Xinjiang

Xiang Guokai considered it a grand adventure when he bought his ticket to Xinjiang after graduating university eight years ago. His classmates called it a "self-exile".

Unlike his peers, who were flocking to big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing to seek employment, Xiang, who had just received his degree in journalism from Wuhan University, thought the west would provide more opportunity and less competition.

The 31-year-old Hubei native said he was shy and lacked confidence at the time. To him, the move to Xinjiang was akin to joining the famous California Gold Rush, with lofty plans being discussed by the Chinese government to develop the western regions.

Xiang, who now lives in Kashgar with his wife and two children and works as a journalist for Kashgar Daily, is proud of his choice to take part in the national strategy.

In 2013, China unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative seeking to revive the ancient Silk Road trade route by building infrastructure, strengthening cultural exchanges and increasing trade between China, Central Asia and Europe.

As Xinjiang prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding an autonomous region in October, the autonomous region is enjoying unprecedented development as it becomes a crucial component of the Silk Road as a transportation hub connecting China to Europe.

"It's hard to describe the beauty of Xinjiang, how kind its people are and how bright its future is," Xiang said.

ROCKY START

While the region now sees a promising future, when Xiang first arrived in Urumqi in 2007 the situation was far from ideal.

In addition to sporadic terrorist attacks, there were fewer job opportunities than in the big eastern cities.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't like journalism and I was confused about what career would suit me," he said.

After sending out dozens of resumes, Xiang was able to find a sales job. But sales were slow and he wasn't making much money, though he was developing confidence and better able to talk to people.

Unable to make ends meet, he became a journalist at the Urumqi Evening News and moved to a daily newspaper in Altay Prefecture, where he first fell in love with Xinjiang.

Altay, which borders Mongolia, is known for its vast mountain ranges and abundant wildlife. He was stunned by regular encounters with majestic eagles and herds of bounding gazelle.

He was also impressed with the hospitality of the ethnic Kazak people, who would gladly share milk tea and dance with strangers.

"Every one here is happy and kind. Altay gave me more happiness than any other city I have been to," Xiang said.

Xiang left Xinjiang in April 2009, returning to Hubei province to marry his girlfriend Jiang Yuhong, a postgraduate student majoring in electrical engineering at Wuhan University.

While in his hometown, he used knowledge of Xinjiang's foreign trade with neighboring countries to try and build a China-Pakistan e-commerce website. Business was slow and eventually he shut it down.

On July 5, 2009, riots in Urumqi killed nearly 200 people and injured 1,700, further convincing Xiang that his decision to leave Xinjiang was the right choice.

It wasn't until the first central work conference in May 2010 that Xiang's interest was piqued and, once again, he began looking west for jobs.

During the conference, Kashgar was approved as a special economic zone to boost economic growth. Believing the city to be rife with news stories, Xiang finally decided to return west and pursue his career as a journalist.

In October 2010, when his first son was just 40 days old, Xiang moved to Kashgar. His wife and son joined him three months later.

LOVE IN KASHGAR

In 2014, Xiang became involved in a regional government program which sent 200,000 civil servants to live and work at villages, state farms and local communities for a year.

Becoming the only Han Chinese at the No.10 Village in Opal Township, Shufu County, he found a small community to call his own.

After working in the Uygur village outside of Kashgar for a year, Xiang knew his decision to move back was the right choice. He quickly became enamored with the kindness of Uygurs and was soon entrenched in the local community, earning the Uygur name "Erkenjan", which means lightheartedness, from his colleagues.

Wanting to further his involvement with the community, he worked with a charity organization to help provide schooling for 20 poor primary students from the village.

Now, whenever he visits the village, he's gifted with dried apricots and jujubes - his favorite local specialties.

Xiang's house has since become a nest of activity. In February, Xiang's second son was born in Kashgar, becoming the family's first child born in Xinjiang. Every day, he hosts a group of local children, teaching them Mandarin and allowing them to watch cartoons on his TV.

One day, to show appreciation, Xiang's students gifted him eggs from their school lunch, covering the shells with Chinese characters to show their progress in lessons. On a different day, after Xiang suspended classes for a few days, his students wrote him a note telling him that they missed him and posted it on his door.

For Xiang and his wife Jiang, Kashgar is a place full of achievement and happiness.

The fear he once held over terrorist attacks disappeared when he realized just how slim the chance of being involved in one truly is.

While occasional disturbances can still be seen, he said acts of terrorism are few and far between.

"Like a car accident, there is a very small chance you will experience a terrorist attack in Xinjiang," he said. "You can't live your life in fear of leaving the house for something that is unlikely."

Xiang has finally overcome his shyness, becoming a successful local journalist and beloved community member. His wife has achieved great success as independent engineer, helping design several power stations in the region.

"We witnessed the past five years with the fastest growth in history and both of us benefited from Kashgar's development," said Xiang.

"We are looking forward for a brighter future when we can display all our talents." Endi