A Xinjiang vlogger's small screen records big picture

At the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, two parallel goals are increasingly converging: forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and building China into a cultural powerhouse. One anchors unity and shared purpose; the other projects confidence and shapes the national image.

At their intersection is my own journey from a grassroots short-video creator in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Along the way, I witnessed how new media reshapes individual expression and empowers local storytelling.

From filming the daily lives of young people from Han, Uygur, Kazakh and other ethnic groups, to producing systematic, positive content on Xinjiang's development, ethnic solidarity and paired-assistance programs, and finally to offering policy advice on digital industries and online governance, my work has revolved around one core question: how can inclusive, engaging, and authentic online content connect young hearts — and present a China that is credible, lovable and respectable?

My objective was to show what young people in my hometown are really like. In 2015, when short video platforms were booming across China, Xinjiang was largely absent from the narrative. I left a stable TV job and founded the "Pomegranate Spirit" team, inspired by the metaphor of all ethnic groups holding together like pomegranate seeds.

Our web comedy series The Pomegranates Are Ripe, or Anar Pishti, avoided grand slogans. Instead, it focused on streets, campuses, and workplaces — on young people in Xinjiang chasing dreams, falling in love, working hard at life. The series went viral, reaching billions of views across platforms. Its success lay in "de-spectacularizing" Xinjiang. When viewers saw local youth worrying about homework, grinding through jobs and joking in internet slang, distances dissolved.

As our influence grew, so did our sense of responsibility. Short videos are not just entertainment; they shape identity and transmit values. We began translating national policies and Xinjiang's development into stories people could relate to. Series set against paired-assistance programs, documentaries on intangible cultural heritage, and public-interest shorts on drug prevention, firefighting, and ethnic unity grounded big themes in people and emotions.

Our online film One Take to Ripen the Pomegranate about multi-ethnic youth helping a sick child fulfill a filmmaking dream topped platform charts and drew coverage from mainstream media. It proved a simple truth: so-called "main theme" content can win hearts when it is well told and rooted in life.

Through my personal account, I explained Xinjiang's industrial trends, visualized data on renewable-energy bases, major infrastructure projects, and free-trade zones and explored opportunities for entrepreneurship.

We trained over 12,000 first-time streamers, supported livestream e-commerce for farmers, and joined national online initiatives showcasing China's landscapes and cities. When viewers comment, "I didn't know Xinjiang was this modern," or "I want to start a business in Kashgar," I know stereotypes are melting under the warmth of diverse storytelling.

In engaging young people, three qualities consistently work: inclusion, fun and authenticity. Inclusion means diversity and equal perspectives. Our content does not spotlight a single ethnic identity but presents multi-ethnic cooperation — roommates from different backgrounds, friends opening shops together, neighbors celebrating holidays side by side.

Serious themes need light vehicles. Humor, music, fast editing and internet language help translate policy, culture and values into accessible forms.

Young audiences can sense what is staged or exaggerated. We follow a simple rule: record more, fabricate less. We show sweat and tears, tradition and experimentation.

First, broaden participation to build a shared national narrative. Grassroots voices are often the most credible. Through training and platform incentives, more young people in border and ethnic regions should be encouraged to tell their stories.

Second, innovate storytelling for cross-cultural communication. Content must match the psychology and habits of different audiences. Our data-driven explainer videos drew tens of millions of views, proving that even "hard" information can be engaging.

Third, support young cultural enterprises and help them go global. A healthy content ecosystem needs sustainable creators. Financial support, project-based partnerships can help promising teams reach wider audiences.

Finally, communicate with openness and confidence. Telling China's story means showing achievements and cultural richness, everyday joys and struggles, and even challenges.

As the 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds, cultural development and ethnic unity face new opportunities. I will continue to act as a bridge between policy and daily life, using data, images, and empathetic storytelling to capture new stories. Each video and each livestream can become a living footnote to a shared Chinese identity, showcasing a China that is credible, lovable, and respectable.

The author is a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and general manager of Anarrohi, a cultural media company in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

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