A group of students and their teacher go on a study trip by train along the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in May. [Photo/Xinhua]
Transport mode, key infrastructure propel Xinjiang onto accelerated development track
URUMQI — As student Abdulrehim Abduleli traveled toward the hometown of his childhood role model, he was filled with excitement, looking expectantly out of the train window, checking his watch from time to time.
The boy’s role model, Kurban Tulum, was a resident of Hotan prefecture in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The Uygur farmer is well-known for his role in promoting ethnic solidarity. Although he passed away in 1975, his story lives on.
“Since childhood, we knew that Kurban Tulum had attempted to ride a donkey from Xinjiang to Beijing. Now, we can take this clean, convenient train to his hometown,” said 13-year-old Abdulrehim Abduleli. He was joined on the trip by over 30 students.
The teenager was able to make this dream journey thanks to the 2,712-kilometer rail loop encircling the Taklimakan Desert, China’s largest. Launched in June 2022, it is the world’s first desert loop railway line.
The loop links major cities, including Aksu, Kashgar, Hotan and Korla, and has put the development of Xinjiang, especially its southern region, on a faster track.
Convenience, development
Located in southern Xinjiang, Hotan is well known, among other things, for its top-notch, mouthwatering fruits and yet for a long time it lagged in development. Now things are improving, especially with the launch of the desert railway.
“By this special train, walnuts will be transported to our customers quickly,” said Rozimamat Nuri, general manager of Kelaimu Agricultural Product Co in Hotan county, adding that he expects to sell over 40,000 metric tons of walnuts this year.
According to China Railway Urumqi Group Co Ltd, as of mid-June, nearly 33.5 million tons of goods had been delivered through the freight transportation centers in the cities of Korla and Kashgar, thanks to the loop railway.
Industrial agglomeration has also been accelerated. The railway station of Qira county in Hotan prefecture, a node of the loop, was launched last year. Not far from the station is the Tianjin industrial park, where textiles and electronics enterprises are busy making products, while the main building of a regional logistics distribution center has been erected.
“We have started to build a logistics center in the area surrounding the station. Locally produced goods and other southern Xinjiang products can be delivered to the Kashgar economic development zone by railway, to better link with the Central Asian market in the future,” said Ma Jiangshan, a senior official in Qira county.
According to Xinjiang’s transport authorities, the autonomous region has over 220,000 km of highways, nearly 8,770 km of railways in operation and 25 civil transport airports.
The fast-track development of Xinjiang’s traffic infrastructure impressed Abdulrehim Abduleli. He said that when he goes to university, he hopes to study transportation. “I want to build high-speed railways in southern Xinjiang in the future,” he said.
View of a viaduct over the sand of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in May 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
Booming tourism
The desert rail loop has not only brought convenience and opportunities to residents living nearby, but also allowed tourists to learn more about Xinjiang.
In Ruoqiang county, people from various ethnic groups perform Muqam, a traditional art form of the Uygur ethnic group integrating song, dance, and folk and classical music, while tourists applaud or dance along with the melody.
“We are much busier this year,” said Ershidin Tursun, head of the Loulan Art Troupe of Ruoqiang county. “Sometimes we even have to add temporary performances or rehearse a newly developed dance to meet the demand from tourists.”
For Hasyetikhan Matursun, a guide at the Kurban Tulum memorial hall, the ongoing summer vacation is indeed a busy one — but she enjoys the buzz of activity.
“Sometimes we are very busy, but we are happy that more people are coming here and learning about Kurban Tulum’s story,” she said.
Xinjiang has seen a rebound in the tourism sector this year. During the first half of 2023, the region received more than 102 million tourist trips, up 31.49 percent year-on-year, said the regional culture and tourism department.
Among the experiences that tourists enjoy is the local cuisine, including traditional baked buns stuffed with meat and sometimes vegetables, a typical delicacy of Xinjiang.
In a baked bun restaurant in Hotan city, a waiter demonstrates how to enjoy the buns by cutting away the tough flat side to reveal the steaming contents. Diners take photos and share them with friends via social media.
“The baked buns in Xinjiang are large and they have a fragrant aroma,” said tourist Fan Fei, adding that they are similar to the pineapple buns in her hometown in Guangdong province, one of the country’s economic powerhouses.
The rail loop is also convenient for people living near the desert who wish to travel outside Xinjiang. This year, a batch of students from a middle school in Ruoqiang county took the railway to Urumqi, where there is an abundance of flights, then took a plane to Shanghai, according to Feng Haiyan, who works with the school.
“Traveling by train is affordable and convenient. Our students went to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University, and experienced artificial intelligence and engaged in assembling robots in a factory,” said Feng.
By Xinhua
