Learning without prejudice

It was only after he left his hometown of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, that Li Peng began to learn more about the history of the region and investigated his identity as a Xinjianger.

In 2000, the 32-year-old moved to Beijing to pursue his dream of becoming a rock musician. Things were going well until July 5, 2009, when he received "the horrific news" that a close relative had been among 197 people killed in a riot in Urumqi.

"That's when things became complicated," Li said. "Since the riot, I've often been asked, 'What's wrong with Xinjiang?' I always reply: 'How much time do you have?' People always want a simple answer, instead of trying to learn about Xinjiang. One can only see what's behind the conflict if one puts prejudice to one side and tries to understand different cultures and religions."