Last year, the Ancient City of Kashgar, a rammed-earth building complex with a 2,000-year history and now a national 5A tourism attraction in the prefecture, received 8.7497 million visitors, marking a 96.68 percent year-on-year growth.
Salamat Kari, a local entrepreneur who manages the three-story homestay Gul's Home within the ancient city, has been actively involved in adding new decorations and furniture to her establishment.
"Upon hearing the news of the Spring Festival Gala being hosted right at our doorstep, I made a firm decision to renovate and upgrade the homestay to enhance the overall guest experience. I am confident that with the gala acting as a global 'advertisement' for Kashgar, we will attract even more visitors this year," she said.
For local performing and art industry practitioners in Kashgar, the gala also serves as a great opportunity to learn about art creation and program production.
Dilshat Abbas, a performer with an art troupe in Kashgar's Maigaiti county, said that it's a real challenge to capture all of Kashgar's charm within a brief gala performance.
"That requires high-level directing skills," he said.
"I really hope to pick up planning ideas and techniques from the CMG gala. Whether it's the style of the program or how it's designed, it's a fantastic opportunity to boost the art scene in Kashgar."
