Photographer Hailun Ma’s new series, “Kashi Youth,” focuses on a generation of young people in Kashgar, a historic city in China’s Xinjiang region. The project captures how local youth channel identity through fashion and cultural heritage.
Ma, who was born in Xinjiang and is now based in Shanghai, uses portraiture to explore the contrasts between traditional and contemporary issues. Her subjects are photographed in everyday settings, dressed in localized ensembles that highlight the blend between local customs and contemporary aesthetics.
The series is part of Ma’s broader effort to challenge dominant narratives about Xinjiang. Rather than presenting the region as isolated or static, she positions it as a place where change is visible and youth play an active role in shaping cultural identity.
“Youth culture has always been central to my photography. The subjects in this series are all local to Kashgar—a new generation raised on ancient land. Through their style, their energy, their contradictions, they embody the clash and fusion between heritage and modernity, tradition and self-expression,” said Ma.
“ The subjects in this series are all local to Kashgar—a new generation raised on ancient land. ”
“For me, returning to Xinjiang through the lens is never just nostalgia; it’s an act of rewriting and reclaiming.”
