China-Desert Rail Loop/Tourism/Xinjiang

Shotlist

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China – Recent (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
1. Hotan-Ruoqiang railway
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) tourist (name not given):
“It has always been my wish to travel to Xinjiang. When I saw the opening of the world’s first desert rail loop line, we took a train around the south of Xinjiang for the first time to see the desert and diversifolious poplar trees. I’m so excited.”
3. Aerial shot of train moving
4. Staff dancing
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Xiaoli, conductor of passenger section in Korla of Urumqi Railway Bureau (ending with shots 6-7):
“Since the summer travel rush began on July 1, our trains have always been fully booked. More local people and tourists take the train to Urumqi. The number of people transported in the first week exceeded 10,000, and currently there are about 2,445 passengers on average every day.”
6. Various of residents at railway station
7. Tourists waiting in line; tourists sitting
8. Various of scenery
9. Aerial shots of Hotan-Ruoqiang railway
10. Aerial shot of train moving
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) tourist (name not given):
“We didn’t have trains here before. For the first time, I was able to travel by train and see the outside world. I appreciate the rapid development of our country.”
12. Various of scenery
13. Aerial shots of sand prevention and control project
14. Aerial shot of train moving
15. Scenery

Storyline

Following the inauguration of Hotan-Ruoqiang railway last month, the world’s first desert rail loop line went into full operation, bringing swarms of tourists from across country to northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to devour the breathtaking scenery.

With the very first train roaring northeastward from Hotan, the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway was formally put into operation on June 16. It also marks the inauguration of the world’s first desert rail loop line.

The 2,712-km loop, encircling the Taklimakan, China’s largest desert, and linking major cities including Aksu, Kashgar, Hotan, and Korla along its route, is expected to put the development of Xinjiang, especially its southern part, on a faster track.

Tourism in Xinjiang has rapidly developed since June. With the operation of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in mid-June, the frequency of searching for information about tourism in Xinjiang rose 78 percent from the prior month, while ticket sales at scenic spots rose 300 percent, according to data from related platforms.

“It has always been my wish to travel to Xinjiang. When I saw the opening of the world’s first desert rail loop line, we took a train around the south of Xinjiang for the first time to see the desert and diversifolious poplar trees. I’m so excited,” said a tourist.

“Since the summer travel rush began on July 1, our trains have always been fully booked. More local people and tourists take the train to Urumqi. The number of people transported in the first week exceeded 10,000, and currently there are about 2,445 passengers on average every day,” said Li Xiaoli, conductor of the passenger section in Korla of the Urumqi Railway Bureau.

Because the railway is less affected by the weather, it greatly facilitates the travel of the local people, and also opens up a green channel for tourism development.

“We didn’t have trains here before. For the first time, I was able to travel by train and see the outside world. I appreciate the rapid development of our country,” said another tourist.