Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in September 2025 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region, calling for efforts to build a socialist modern Xinjiang.
On September 23, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to attend activities marking the region's 70th founding anniversary.
It was his fourth visit to the region since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. Conveying a message of warm congratulations and sincere best wishes, the president urged the region to chart a new chapter for building a socialist modern Xinjiang.
"I hope Xinjiang will take the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Autonomous Region as a new starting point, unite hearts and efforts, and make long, tenacious efforts. We should build a socialist modern Xinjiang that is characterized by unity, harmony, prosperity, affluence, cultural progress and a sound eco-environment, where people live and work in peace and contentment," Xi said.
The CPC's guidelines for governing Xinjiang in the new era have so far yielded fruitful results, and Xinjiang is experiencing its best period of development in history. From the southern to the northern Tianshan Mountains, breathtaking landscapes are being reshaped day by day.
By improving people’s livelihoods, a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community is being strengthened. This is one of the most vivid expressions of Chinese modernization: the warmth of development is ultimately reflected in the shared sweetness of every "pomegranate seed."
Xi calls for efforts to build socialist modern Xinjiang
Ice and snow activities have attracted more visitors across China during the three-day New Year holiday that began on Thursday, with destinations upgrading services and introducing new experiences to boost winter tourism and consumption.
At the Jizhou International Ski Resort in north China's Tianjin, visitor numbers have surged during the holiday. To accommodate demand, the resort has opened 11 ski runs, added new snow-making equipment, upgraded more than 5,000 sets of ski gear, and deployed over 200 professional instructors.
To meet visitors' needs, the resort also has offered two free public classes each day to help beginners master basic skills and safety knowledge. Shuttle bus services have been expanded between nearby hotels and the resort, providing seamless transportation for guests.
"There are shuttle buses from the hotel to the ski resort every 20 minutes, wich I think is a very good service," said Ma Xinping, a tourist.
Hotels in the surrounding area have also benefited from the rising popularity of ice-and-snow tourism.
"Hotel rooms were nearly fully booked during the holiday, and this year's revenue is expected to increase by more than 50 percent compared with previous years," said Zong Qinghe, general manager of the Tianjin Jizhou International Ski Resort.
Meanwhile, Huangshan City in east China's Anhui Province is also tapping into its winter tourism potential by rolling out new ice-and-snow-themed attractions.
At an ice-and-snow entertainment venue in the city's Changyuan Village, snowmaking machines have been operating continuously, creating a winter wonderland where children have been building snowmen, having snowball fights and enjoying snow slides amid laughter and excitement.
"I built a snowman and had a snowball fight here. I'm really happy," said Chen Xiaohan, a tourist.
According to Wang Fei, head of the venue, the whole place is divided into three main zones, including a photo-taking area, a snow-play area and a slide zone. She added that the attraction received nearly 30,000 visits in the first two days of the New Year holiday.
China's ice and snow tourism gains momentum during New Year holiday
