ISLAMABAD, September 16 (INP): People of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have successfully defeated terrorism and now on path to modernization, catching up with other parts of China.  Xinjiang is witnessing a boom in tourism, underscoring the vitality and growth prospects of tourism and economic development in China's vast western region, according a report carried by Gwadar Pro. One can understand the quantum of development in Xinjiang by the fact that according to official data, during the first quarter of this year, Xinjiang received 41.0133 million tourists, a 15.88 percent year-on-year increase, with tourism revenue soaring by 53.8 percent to 43.744 billion yuan ($6.05 billion). China Southern Airlines, the largest main base airline in Xinjiang, told Chinese media that bookings for Urumqi have seen a substantial increase for the next month. Inbound trip bookings to Altay have surged by over 50 percent. Since March, China's western provincial-level regions such as Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai have emerged as hit tourist destinations. Consultations and booking volumes for these places have shown a rapid uptrend, with this year's peak season arriving earlier than in previous years. According to the official data, reservations only for Xinjiang tourism products at the store have soared by more than 50 percent compared with the previous year. 

The market usually picks up steam during summer vacations, but this year, the area has become increasingly popular since April, reveals the official data. Tourism boom in Xinjiang region can be attributed to the abundant and unique tourist resources of the region. Meanwhile, it reflects the region's ramped-up efforts to improve its economic development, service standards and transportation capabilities. With the tourism boom, Xinjiang is developing into a vibrant economy. Religious freedom and concord among many ethnic and religious groups are assisting the region in developing a strong and rising economy, and the region will soon become a model of religious tolerance as well as regional commerce and collaboration.  Sooner rather than later, Xinjiang will take centre stage by contributing to the regional commerce hub, which will serve as a pivot for the multibillion-dollar CPEC project, BRI's flagship. The report added, tourists from various parts of the world now flock to the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport with a vast majority of the visitors belonging to European countries.  However, the city was completely different about 15 years ago. Urumqi, then a moderately developed area, was trying to catch up with the rapid development of China's northeastern provinces. 

The city was reasonably developed at the time, while Kashgar and other sections of Xinjiang were struggling to overcome widespread poverty.  Urumqi had then developed, but it was Kashgar that piqued our interest since the centuries-old city bordering Pakistan's northern territories had evolved into a new economic hub when China constructed a new city near Kashgar, known as Kashi Area. It was revealed that the Chinese officials spent billions of dollars to build a new metropolis in ancient Kashgar to serve as a base for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was presented in 2013. A visit to the Xinjiang Islamic Institute (XII) highlighted how religious principles and Islamic teachings were imparted to seminary students, while young religious scholars were provided with necessary facilities.    Prof. Qamar Din Ahmed, the Institute's Director, stated that the institute and its eight sub-campuses can house 1,000 students at a time, and bachelor degrees are granted to students who would subsequently take up duties at local mosques and religious teaching institutes.  He stated that the institute promotes a message of peace and fraternity. 

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China