Exploring Xinjiang In China: How Village Tourism Is Revitalizing Rural Economies

Published on September 12, 2025

Due successful ample portion to nan maturation of agrarian tourism, a number of agrarian villages successful Xinjiang, northwest China, person knowledgeable important changes successful caller years. Of these, Pingxiliang colony is simply a premier illustration of really section communities tin efficaciously usage tourism to boost their economies. These villages, which supply visitors pinch a unique acquisition while enhancing nan value of life for locals, person go important players successful Xinjiang’s tourism assemblage acknowledgment to authorities support and rising liking successful agrarian recreation destinations.

A Shift from Agriculture to Tourism

Historically, Xinjiang’s agrarian villages relied heavy connected agriculture and animal husbandry, pinch galore villagers seeking employment successful municipality centres owed to constricted section opportunities. However, since 2019, Pingxiliang colony successful Urumqi County has embraced a caller path—tourism. In a collaboration pinch Shenzhen Jiexi Tourism Investment, nan colony has seen nan translator of 44 accepted homes into homestay inns. These recently renovated properties now cater to a increasing influx of tourists, bringing a much-needed economical boost to nan area.

The displacement from agriculture to tourism was supported by some section and location governments, who recognised nan imaginable of agrarian tourism arsenic a catalyst for economical growth. As a result, Pingxiliang’s section system has knowledgeable a singular turnaround. Approximately 79% of nan workforce successful nan colony is now employed successful nan tourism sector, contributing to a important summation successful per capita income. The mean yearly income per villager has risen to astir 39,600 yuan ($5,560), pinch much than 70% of this income now stemming from tourism-related activities.

A Boost successful Employment and Opportunities

One of nan astir important impacts of this agrarian tourism gyration has been nan creation of employment opportunities. Many erstwhile migrant workers person returned to their autochthonal villages, drawn by nan burgeoning tourism industry. In Pingxiliang, respective villagers person opened their ain homestays, restaurants, and mini businesses catering to tourists. Some, for illustration nan now-certified skis instructors and section guides, person built wholly caller careers, contributing to nan vibrant, tourist-friendly ambiance successful nan village.

For instance, a section man, who erstwhile sought activity extracurricular of nan village, has now established himself arsenic a skis instructor. His woman operates a bustling restaurant, offering visitors a sensation of section Xinjiang cuisine. Their occurrence communicative is emblematic of nan broader inclination successful Pingxiliang, wherever tourism has fixed section residents nan chance to create thriving businesses and bask a higher modular of living.

Government Support for Local Entrepreneurs

To guarantee nan soft maturation of tourism, nan section authorities has implemented respective initiatives aimed astatine making it easier for entrepreneurs to found businesses. These initiatives person been instrumental successful streamlining business registration and licensing procedures, making it imaginable for group to unfastened businesses pinch minimal delays. For example, successful nan lawsuit of 1 entrepreneur from Jiangsu province, it took conscionable 1 week to complete each nan basal procedures to unfastened her homestay successful Pingxiliang. Normally, this process would return astir 3 weeks, but pinch nan government’s help, her business sewage disconnected nan crushed overmuch faster.

As tourism continues to thrive, this authorities support is proving captious for entrepreneurs who wish to grow their businesses. One specified entrepreneur, inspired by nan hospitality she knowledgeable successful Pingxiliang, plans to unfastened a concatenation of homestays, further boosting nan region’s tourism manufacture and providing further occupation opportunities for section residents.

Expanding nan Model: Tagerake and Tacun Villages

Pingxiliang’s occurrence communicative is not an isolated case. Other villages crossed Xinjiang person besides embraced tourism arsenic a intends of economical revitalisation. Tagerake village, nestled astatine nan ft of Tomur Peak, has go different illustration of nan affirmative effects of agrarian tourism. Here, nan take of cleanable power has gone manus successful manus pinch tourism development. Electric shuttle buses now carrier visitors astir nan scenic area, and nan full colony has implemented greenish technologies, including afloat electrification of heating and intermezo facilities.

This committedness to sustainability has not only enhanced nan visitant acquisition but besides provided unchangeable employment for much than 270 farmers and herders. The mean income successful Tagerake has accrued by complete 35,000 yuan per person, acknowledgment to nan village’s successful modulation to a tourism-based economy.

Similarly, Tacun village, located successful Wensu County, has transformed from a struggling cultivation organization into a celebrated tourer destination. With attractions specified arsenic solid walkways, a dinosaur park, and themed inns, Tacun has drawn visitors from each over. In 2020, contempt nan challenges posed by nan COVID-19 pandemic, complete 600 farmers and herders saw their incomes improve, acknowledgment to nan booming tourism industry.

Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage Preservation

A cardinal facet of Xinjiang’s agrarian tourism improvement is nan accent connected sustainability and nan preservation of section culture. Tourism has not only generated economical maturation but has besides enabled villagers to clasp and beforehand their unsocial taste heritage. The villages’ committedness to preserving their accepted measurement of life while embracing tourism has ensured that visitors are capable to acquisition some nan earthy beauty and nan taste richness of nan region.

The government’s domiciled successful this translator has been important successful facilitating sustainable development. Efforts to merge cleanable power and greenish technologies into tourism infrastructure are helping to minimise nan biology impact, while section businesses are being encouraged to usage locally originated materials and products to heighten nan authenticity of nan visitant experience.

A Bright Future for Xinjiang’s Rural Villages

One outstanding illustration of economical revitalisation is nan maturation of agrarian tourism successful Xinjiang. In summation to improving nan modular of surviving for their citizens, villages for illustration Pingxiliang, Tagerake, and Tacun person drawn visitors from each complete nan world by utilising nan powerfulness of tourism. These formerly sleepy villages look to person a agleam early acknowledgment to sustained authorities support, ongoing investments successful sustainable practices, and rising liking successful agrarian recreation destinations.

It is anticipated that arsenic Xinjiang’s tourism assemblage develops further, different villages successful nan region will emulate Pingxiliang and its neighbours, making nan region 1 of China’s astir celebrated recreation destinations.

[Image Source: Silk Road Travel Official Website]