A growing number of travelers are discovering a winter wonderland
Travelers to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region this winter can expect a slew of new events, discounts and travel options designed to make the Silk Road region a sought-after destination during the colder months.
More than 130 activities geared toward tourists will be staged from Oct 14 through March at a winter-tourism festival in the region’s capital, Urumqi, and a winter-industry expo in Altay. Beyond that, however, the area has myriad attractions and activities that draw tourists by the millions.
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Tuva people’s traditional houses are covered with snow in Hemu village in Kanas in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. |
“Many prefectures and cities in Xinjiang are vigorously developing winter tourism to enable tourists to better savor the charms of snow and ice,” says Hou Hanmin, a senior official with Xinjiang’s tourism development commission.
Last year, the autonomous region developed 436 tourism projects with investments totaling 20.5 billion yuan ($2.99 billion; 2.7 billion euros; ￡2.3 billion).
“We will build tourism into a pillar industry and a new engine for development in Xinjiang,” Hou says.
Xinjiang, an important outpost on the ancient Silk Road, is home to more than 1,100 officially recognized scenic locations, including 12 top-rated national attractions, seven national geoparks and 17 national forests. The area includes parts of the Gobi Desert, prairies, forests, wetlands and glaciers.
There are 37 large ski resorts and Altay prefecture in the region’s north is covered in snow for up to 180 days a year. It’s sometimes likened to the Swiss Alps. The snowy scenes of Tianchi Lake and Urumqi Nanshan Ski Resort are particularly popular. The Altay Mountain Wild Snow Park, for example, hosted a ski event in mid-October that featured a performance with traditional fur skis. Locals still use skis made from pine and fur, the essential style of which may date back 12,000 years. They also host annual competitions using the footwear.
Nearly 106 million tourists visited Xinjiang during the first eight months of the year, up roughly 41 percent compared with the same period of 2017, the tourism commission reports. Tourists spent nearly 172 billion yuan during the period, a roughly 43 percent increase.
About 100 new policies have been adopted to boost winter tourism and the list of ideas for events and discounts to lure more visitors to the area is long.
Things to do
Visitors to the region can also explore the wilderness on a horse-drawn sleigh or by helicopter. Koktokay will also offer hot air balloon flights as another way to take in the scenery by air.
Back on the ground, visitors will experience the traditions and history that made the area a crossroads of civilizations, including ethnic Kazak folk-culture performances and rime festivals. Urumqi’s ancient ecology park will offer opportunities for horseback rides as a way for tourists to experience the region’s equestrian culture during holidays like the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 5 and Valentine’s Day. The city’s Tianshan Grand Canyon will host New Year celebrations, while the botanical garden will offer snowy landscapes and local snacks for families. Travelers to Tanas can even opt to stay in traditional homes of Tuva locals.
Travelers can also explore the region’s history at Urumqi’s Xinjiang Museum and learn about Silk Road culture by watching the film, Myth of the Silk Road, by acclaimed director Lu Chuan. Fuhai county will host a mass ice-fishing event, featuring an all-fish banquet afterward.
Celebrities will be on hand at an international snow festival featuring Silk Road elements, sightseeing and sports in late December. The event will also offer gourmet dining and shopping experiences.
Free and discounted skiing and dining tickets will be offered at Urumqi’s 20-day snow-art carnival around the Spring Festival. Travelers can also receive gifts and Xinjiang specialties at an “agritainment” food competition and hiking event around the capital’s Grand Bazaar. Free or discounted access is also available to Silk Road International Ski Resort’s light shows, skiing competition and music festival. All top-grade attractions will offer discounted ticket prices between Oct 15 and March 31.
Getting there and around
Train travelers and those coming by chartered plane will receive monetary incentives, as will travel agencies that bring large numbers of visitors to Xinjiang during the winter. The region has also launched a 10-day, “platinum” winter-travel route. Its itinerary includes Turpan, Tianchi Lake, Hemu, Kanas, Burqin and Altay.
Xinjiang introduced six special tourism trains and 10 driving routes earlier this year. These serve travelers well, since attractions are scattered across the vast region.
The tourism commission is hosting a winter-itinerary-design competition. It has invited agencies, tour customizers and experienced travelers to integrate folk customs, sports and food in ways that present the best of winter in Xinjiang.
The results were released on Nov 1, and the winning routes will be promoted afterward.
Indeed, they may blaze new trails that show why traveling through Xinjiang is sometimes best done through the snow.
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Visitors have fun on the slopes at a ski resort in Xinjiang, which offers various winter sports. Photos Provided to China Daily |
(China Daily European Weekly 11/16/2018 page21)