Tourism trumps terrorism in Xinjiang

The Flaming Mountain is popular among tourists because of its rare red sandstone. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The county is applying for a national-level tourism status and constructing new attractions. It's also building a new airport, rail lines and highways as part of the enhanced transportation central to the Belt and Road Initiative to reincarnate ancient Silk Road networks.

Xinjiang's tourism's recovery has been accelerated by the fact the China National Tourism Administration has declared 2015 the Year of Silk Road Travel under the initiative. The country's westernmost region contains perhaps the grandest constellation of the ancient network's nexuses.

Xinjiang also started work on a Silk Road Economic Belt tourism-service center on April 30. The center, which will become operational in three years, will provide travelers with information about, and services for, all attractions in the autonomous region and other countries on the belt.

President Xi Jinping in 2013 proposed the trade belt's creation to enhance economic integration along the ancient route, extending via Xinjiang through Central Asia to Europe.

China's westernmost region borders eight nations. The tourism bureau plans to increase cooperation with such neighboring countries as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.

This would enable visitors from, or traveling through, Xinjiang to more easily extend their trips through belt countries.