A Sight to Behold

By+Yuan+Yuan

On September 5， 24，000 passengers arrived in and left Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region through Urumqi Airport with China Southern Air. It marked the highest recorded passenger throughput by the airline in Xinjiang for 2014.

The new record has been primarily attributed to the fourth session of the ChinaEurasia Expo， held in Urumqi on September 1-6. After a few bleak months for the regional tourism， Xinjiang finally welcomed a surge in visitors.

Slow recovery

August and September are the most wonderful months in Xinjiang. The weather is pleasant， the sun shines and a variety of delicious fruits are in season. Unfortunately， after a series of terror attacks around the country by groups known to have a presence in Xinjiang， tourism industry in the region has become somewhat stagnant.

It is reported that the number of tourists to Xinjiang has dropped by 40 percent compared to 2013. The image of Xinjiang with rich ethnic cultures， delicious food and stunning scenery has been stained by the violence committed by terrorists.

Xinjiang quickly took actions. In late May， Xinjiang announced an offer of 500 yuan （$80） in cash to each visitor to Xinjiang.

“Clouds cannot block the sun，” said Inam Nesirdi， the regions tourism chief. “There has never been a single tourist injured during a trip to the region.”

“I think people have made exaggerations of the danger in Xinjiang，” said a female tourist surnamed Su from east Chinas Jiangsu Province at the International Big Bazaar in Urumqi. “I didnt dare to come to Xinjiang at first but my husband persuaded me. After a few days staying in Urumqi， my worries melted away. We are planning to go to Kashgar next.”

“I think it is the best time to come as there are not many tourists here and we can enjoy the scenery，” said Sus husband Zhang.

More to come

The Eurasia Expo is grasped by many places in Xinjiang as a good way to promote tourism.

Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture， or Bazhou， is the largest prefecture in China， covering more than 460，000 square meters. Bosten Lake， situated at the northeastern rim of Tarim Basin in Bazhou， used to be little known outside the area， but it is gaining its popularity in recent years.

Bazhou specifically opened an area for Bosten Lake in the pavilion at the expo， displaying the unique landscape of the lake area.

During the Expo， the lake welcomed more than 1，000 visitors from all over the world each day.

Randall Farman from Seattle， the United States， came with his wife. “It is so beautiful here and we came all the way from America and are convinced it is the best choice，” said Farman.

“We swim and eat fresh fish，” said Farmans wife Robw Farman. “People here are very nice and we will definitely come back with our friends.”

Figures from the local government show that from January to July， Bosten Lake welcomed 676，000 visitors， an increase of 29.5 percent from last year.

Eleven recreational vehicles （RV） were on display at the expo， marking the first year for the product to be shown there.

“We think RV is quite suitable for traveling in Xinjiang as the region is such a vast place，”said Su Yanzhen， Manager of Continental RV Club in Tangshan， north Chinas Hebei Province， who provided all 11 RVs. “The price of an RV varies from 80，000 yuan （$12，700） to 1.48 million yuan （$235，000） and they are designed to meet different demands.”

The Tourism Bureau of south Chinas Guangdong Province organized a train tour for 500 tourists from Guangdong， Hunan and Hubei provinces. The train departed from Guangzhou， capital city of Guangdong， and ran along the ancient Silk Road for 13 days. In Xinjiang， the train had two stops at Turpan and Urumqi， respectively.

Ruoqiang County， once home to the Loulan culture and desert scene， is also a shining spot in Xinjiang. Loulan was an ancient kingdom based around an important oasis city along the Silk Road in the 2nd century on the north-eastern edge of the Lop Desert.

“We will develop Ruoqiangs tourism and let more people around the world know about our history and culture，” said Dang Feng， Party chief of the county.