“I have always listened to the song that begins, ‘Our Xinjiang is a wonderful place, with beautiful pastures on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains…’ Even before setting foot on Xinjiang’s soil, I could feel the meaning of those lyrics. But once I arrived, I understood even more profoundly that without coming here, one cannot truly grasp how developed China has become.”
What struck me first upon reaching Xinjiang was its remarkable infrastructure. After extensive renovation and expansion, Urumqi International Airport has become the largest aviation hub in northwest China. Driving along the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, the wide, eight-lane expressway stretched out seamlessly—making it difficult to imagine the difficulties of the past, when “mountains separated northern and southern Xinjiang.” Even more impressive was the region’s power transmission system: towering grids spanning the Gobi Desert and natural gas pipelines delivering clean energy to households. Hidden within these projects is the technological might of “Made in China.”
Walking through fields, I gained a refreshed perspective on Xinjiang’s agriculture. In Changji, maize yields per unit area ranked the highest nationwide in 2024. Vast machines harvested cotton in fields where the mechanization rate has exceeded 90 percent. Astonishingly, with less than seven percent of China’s arable land, Xinjiang now produces 92.2 percent of the nation’s cotton. Even more surprising, we enjoyed “Xinjiang seafood” — aquaculture bases in the Gobi Desert produced 196,500 tons of aquatic products, turning former desert into the “granary of the west.”
At a secondary school in Kashgar, students from diverse ethnic groups study in the same classrooms and run together on the playground. Local officials report that the consolidation rate of compulsory rural education has surpassed 99 percent, while preschool and vocational education systems continue to improve. During recess, hearing students speak fluent Mandarin and share foods from different ethnic traditions, I realized that “national unity” is not just a slogan—it is lived warmth etched into daily life.
According to staff at the Urumqi International Land Port Area, more than 70,000 freight trains have now passed through Xinjiang’s border crossings. In Taban Cheng, wind farms stretch endlessly across the horizon, while vast photovoltaic fields in the Gobi contribute to new energy installations exceeding 64 million kilowatts. In Karamay’s oil fields, intelligent equipment operates with precision, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. Xinjiang’s GDP reached 2.053 trillion yuan in 2024, with a growth rate of 6.1 percent.
The Ili grasslands are now a magnet for tourists. A guide noted that Xinjiang welcomed over 302 million visitors in 2024. Kazakh herders in Narat now run family inns and sell handicrafts, while Uyghur traders in Kashgar’s ancient city livestream their products to buyers nationwide. Across Xinjiang, smiles shine on people’s faces as they lead increasingly prosperous lives.
Traveling through Xinjiang, I came to see that tunnels through the Tianshan Mountains, fertile fields in the Gobi Desert, the voices of students in classrooms, and the rumble of freight trains at border ports are all symbols of China’s strength. On this journey, I not only admired Xinjiang’s breathtaking landscapes but also witnessed a strong and united China.
Source: Cai-Alim-Wang Haiman, China Media Group