Xinjiang enchants tourists with autumn spectacle, cultural charm, ski resorts

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China is enchanting tourists with its unique autumn scenery, cultural events, and ski resorts.

A populus diversifolia-themed cultural festival opened in Bachu County of Xinjiang's Kashgar Prefecture on Saturday, wowing visitors with its spectacular pastorals and mouth-watering local cuisines.

Located 32.5 kilometers southwest of downtown Bachu, the 416,000-hectare populus diversifolia forest adjacent to the Taklimakan Desert is known as one of the largest distribution areas of such plants.

As leaves of the trees have turned yellow from green, the golden plants, against the backdrop of a blue sky, has become a picturesque spectacle.

"I just walked along the Kashgar River and the populus diversifolia trees are really spectacular. It’s so beautiful. The journey has not been made in vain," said Li Shouxue, a tourist from southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Folk sports and performances have been also staged for tourists at the cultural festival which will last till November.

As many parts of Xinjiang like Altay Prefecture recently saw its first snowfall, the 2024-2025 ski season officially started at the Keketuohai International Ski Resort in Fuyun County on Sunday, gathering a lot of skiers to enjoy themselves in the exciting sport.

Among all ski resorts in Asia, it opens its ski season earliest and boasts the longest snow period.

"I feel good in my first skiing today. It's a nice experience on the whole," said Hu Changze, a skier from Shanghai.

The highest altitude reaches 3,100 meters and the largest vertical altitude difference reaches 1,350 meters at the ski resort. It has 80 ski routes and is known as the ski resort with the largest variety of natural landforms in China.

Alashankou, a major land port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has registered one million tons in freight volume this year on Saturday.

It's the first time for the port to handle over one million tons in terms of the annual cargo volume.

Also known as Alataw Pass, Alashankou is a crucial hub connecting China with Central Asia and Europe, where food, automobiles, accessories, minerals, and other goods are transported.

In the first 10 months of this year, the customs at the port supervised a total of 104,000 international freight vehicles entering and exiting the port.