The Duku Highway in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, deemed one of China' most beautiful roads, has attracted flocks of enthusiastic tourists from across the country after an eight-month seasonal closure.
The scenic highway opened to traffic on Saturday, the first day of the ongoing three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
On both sides of the famed highway, tourists can enjoy the view of extensive grasslands, forests and snow mountains as they drive on.
The towns along the highway also offer visitors a wide variety of entertainment activities, including horse riding, appreciating picturesque landscape from cable cars, paragliding, and even enjoying a short ride on the helicopter.
"There are snow mountains, grasslands, spruce forests, wildflowers, and streams here along the Duku Highway, which offer us an exceptional travel experience," said Han Chang, a tourist from Beijing.
Locals are also taking advantage of the tourist season, setting up booths along village roads to sell specialties such as mushrooms, honey and dairy foods to travelers.
"I've bought some wild local specialties, like mushrooms and morels. I think they are pretty good," said a tourist surnamed Yu from south China's Guangdong Province.
The 560-kilometer Duku Highway closes each winter due to weather conditions. Typically, closure begins in October and lasts until June.
Scenic highway in northwest China's Xinjiang attracts flocks of tourists after seasonal closure
Yemen's temporary capital Aden is showing resilience and stability in economy, with market operations and public services running smoothly despite a recent escalation in the region's volatile military and political situation.
Currently, various essential supplies, including grain, oil, food and everyday items, are consistently available on the markets.
Public services such as water, electricity and communications are also functioning normally, and shops in multiple commercial districts remain open.
"We went out to buy household items today. The prices were the same. There was no rise in prices," said Mohamed Naguib, a resident.
The current market stability is attributed to the efficient functioning of the transportation and logistics systems, as well as the government's ongoing efforts to enhance market oversight and regulate prices, which have helped reduce market volatility, according to analysts.
"Although there are some rumors about rising tensions, the overall situation in Aden remains stable. The industry and commerce department has continued to monitor the market and rigorously control prices to prevent increases in commodity and food costs," said Amjad Al-Husseini, director of the Aden Governor's Office.
The city's monetary circulation system has also largely maintained balance, with the exchange rate of the local currency against major foreign currencies remaining relatively stable.
Aden has long been a flashpoint in the country's civil war, which erupted in 2014 when Houthi forces seized much of the north, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in the following year. Tensions in the south have persisted despite repeated power-sharing deals.
The tensions further escalated last month after the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized large swathes of Yemen's oil-rich Hadramout province and the eastern province of Al-Mahrah. Riyadh considers these areas as a "red line" due to their proximity to the Saudi border and their concentration of Yemen's remaining energy reserves.
Last week, airstrikes and ground operations by the Saudi-led coalition forced the STC forces to withdraw from the two provinces.
Formed in 2017, the STC seeks autonomy and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Although it joined the Saudi-led coalition and became part of the Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council in 2022, the group's push for southern self-rule has continued to fuel disputes over power-sharing and control of territory and resources.
Economy, market remain stable in Yemen's Aden despite escalating violence
