Winter in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is usually dull and depressing, as people would rather stay indoors next to a heater than brave the cold outside. This year, however, the Winter Tourism Trade Fair jazzed up the winter.

Karamay took home two awards: the Best Organizer and the Best Booth during the awards ceremony at Xinjiang’s 11th Winter Tourism Trade Fair in conjunction with the Western China Ice and Snow Tourism Festival that took place in Urumqi on Nov 27.

Performers from Xinjiang dance at the opening ceremony of the Western China Ice and Snow Tourism Festival and the 11th Winter Tourism Trade Fair of Xinjiang. [Photo/xinjiangnet]

The Karamay tourism bureau organized 11 Karamay companies to attend the tourism fair, presenting tourists with a feast of various crafts including gold silk jades and zisha teapots.

Karamay’s world-renowned Ghost City, which is on a list for possible inductees to the highest tourism rank of National 5A, also took part in this international fair to attract worldwide tourists.

Huang Rui, an official from the Karamay tourism bureau, described some of the unique features available in the city, including “these all-terrain vehicles displayed at the exhibition pavilion were a part of the 2016 China ATV Championship, a level A national competition, this September. Also Russian food and delicious dishes were put on display by a Karamay Russian restaurant.”

The event has been held annually since 2006, and in that time the number of winter tourists has increased from about 900,000 to more than a million in 2014. This year more than 1,000 companies from 20 countries and 19 domestic provinces gathered to exhibit their own slice of winter tourism, as well as associated products, services, and offers.

Source from China Daily