Xinjiang’s Booming Tourism Industry

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Rich in tourism resources, Xinjiang has many leading attractions. Large lakes, vast prairies, huge glaciers, and vast deserts are all quite charming; Tianchi, Grape Valley, Kanas, Sayram Lake, Nalat Grassland, and other scenic spots are well-known both at home and abroad.

Xinjiang is a distant domestic tourism destination for most inland people. Distance generates a sense of mystery. Xinjiang is exceedingly charming for its sense of mystery and unique natural and cultural landscapes.

Today, six themed travels full of characteristi are showing their strong appeal in tourism markets at home and abroad with the unique brand charm, including Silk Road tourism, special interest tours, original eco-tourism photography tours, folk custom tourism, and ice-snow- tourism.

What are the characteristics of the ice-snow tourism in Xinjiang This question is in relation to the origin of skiing in the world.

It is believed that the world skiing was born in Europe, isn’t it Actually, the earliest origin place is Altay in Xinjiang. The powerful evidence of skiing’originating in Scandinavia is nothing less than the discovery of the rock painting about skiing about 2,500 BC in a small island, Norway; as well as the ski board of about 4,500 years old found in Jaemtland County, Sweden. However, the ski hunting rock surface figure in Dunde Braque, Altay shows the ancient Altay people have learned to ski as early as about ten thousand years ago.

A Kazakh woman is holding a eagle in the Agongaiti Grassland, waiting for tourists taking pictures.

Kanas Lake

Two pine boards, two strips of horse leg skin, and two cowhide ropes formed a simple ski board, which may be called “great wisdom appears stupid”, and “like nature itself”.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient nomads chased prey on the vast snowfield with such kind of ski boards.

Chinese Ski Association declared in the Altay Declaration in Altay, “After serious study and research, we solemnly declared that Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang is the primary area of origin of ski in the world.”

Altay has many tourism brands, such as”the primary ski origin area”and “the most beautiful snow hometown in China ” Jiangjun Mountain Ski Field of Altay is a rare alpine ski field in the city, and it has been certified as a world-class ski field for its large difference of level, the long period of snow and the high quality of snow.

Xinjiang in winter is not only the mysterious place, the town of singing and dancing, but also an ice and snow kingdom. After years of effort, the white snow has become the “silver”, and the cold resource has become the hot economy. The ice and snow tourism market in Xinjiang is becoming more mature and prosperous, and the industrial scale has been formed basically, making it a new growth point of the tourism industry in Xinjiang.

In 1997, Xinjiang Tourism Bureau and the Civil Aviation Department jointly launched an activity of “Tour Xinjiang with one Air Ticket”, which opened the prelude of winter tourism;in 1999, the first ice and snow festival was held in Altay; and in 2002, Xinjiang launched the “Silk Road Ice and Snow Style Tour”. Various types of distinctive tourism festivals have been held continuously in other places in Xinjiang afterwards.

Since 2006, Xinjiang has consecutively held the Ice and Snow Festival-the Winter Tourism Expo, which has become the largest winter tourism festival in western China, as well as the window of Xinjiang tourism to the west. The traveling agents from Europe, America, Japan, Korea, Central Asia, and West Asia have participated in the festival for many years, making it an international event The Silk Road Ski Resort in Urumqi Nanshan Shuixigou Town, the coach is teaching ski skills Before the Expo was held in 2006, the annual reception number of winter tourism was about 0.9 million, but in the winter of 2010, the number reached 11 million. Urumqi, Turpan, Altay and other places have gradually gained an advantage in the development of winter tourism.

In 2011, Urumqi Silk Road Ice and Snow Tourism Festival, Altay International Ancient Ski Festival, Balikun Ice and Snow Culture and Tourism Festival, Tianshan Tianchi Ice and Snow festival, Kanas Ice and Snow Tourism Festival, Changji Rural Ice and Snow festival, Shihezi Reclamation Culture Ice and Snow Tourism Festival, Tacheng Ethnic Culture Ice and Snow Tourism Festival and other winter ice and snow tourism activities were held in various places in Xinjiang.