New highway opens to traffic in Xinjiang

A new mountainous highway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region officially opened to traffic on Monday, offering an improved experience for travelers to explore the region's natural wonders.

The 209-kilometer Ahe Highway starts in Altay City at the southern foothills of the Altai Mountains and ends at the pristine Hemu Village in the Kanas Scenic Area.

The highway, along with the already constructed G217 national highway and other roads, forms a scenic tourism loop route that links attractive tourist destinations, including Tuolehaite Summer Pasture, Hemu Village, and the Tongba Grasslands, allowing tourists to explore the picturesque views of Altay without having to backtrack. The winding road has cut travel time by over two hours.

Construction of the Ahe Highway began in September 2022, and a trial operation started in September 2024. Since then, it has accommodated over 49,000 vehicles and attracted 160,000 visitors.

Dubbed the "Most Beautiful Self-Driving Road in Northern Xinjiang," the highway offers travelers breathtaking views of snow-covered mountains, dense forests, vast grassland, and tranquil lakes.

According to the local transportation department, traffic volume is expected to exceed 3,000 vehicles on the opening day, which is a testament to the highway's immense popularity.

Five service stations are strategically placed along the highway, complemented by over 30 parking lots and observation decks at iconic viewpoints.

The gas stations and charging facilities along the highway are still under construction, so it would be better for visitors to fuel up and charge their vehicles at the highway's starting or terminal points before setting off.

In addition to the newly opened Ahe Highway, six other national and provincial trunk roads were also officially inaugurated on Monday.

Xinjiang has entered the first tier of China's self-driving destinations, supported by an ever-expanding highway network. This combination of transportation with tourism goes beyond connecting Xinjiang's spectacular landscapes. It also drives cultural tourism and rural revitalization across the region.

New highway opens to traffic in Xinjiang

Year-end box office revenues in China are strong, with sales and pre-sales for screenings between Nov 28 and Dec 31 exceeding 4 billion yuan (about 570 million U.S. dollars) by 22:45 on Thursday, according to online platform data.

The strong performance in the year-end season has been driven by high-quality moviemaking and a broad selection of movies, with more than 50 films scheduled for release during the period, covering suspense, drama, action and science fiction.

Among domestic productions, war drama "Gezhi Town", which tells the little-known story of civilians in a remote mountain town in central China defending their home against Japanese aggression back in the late 1930s, has raked in over 330 million yuan (about 46.87 million U.S. dollars) at the box office, including previews and pre-sales.

Several other domestic titles, including suspense films "The Fire Raven" and "Escape from the Outland" as well as the fantasy time-travel adaptation "Back to the Past," are set to be released on Dec 31, offering audiences many different options for New Year's Eve.

On the imported film front, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment of the franchise which features new adventures and upgraded 3D visuals, will hit Chinese theaters on Dec 19.

Another import, "Zootopia 2," has already grossed over 3.6 billion yuan (about 511 million U.S. dollars) in China, surpassing its North American earnings and making China the film's top-grossing market worldwide.

China's year-end box office revenues surpass 4 billion yuan