New transport links to open remote Xinjiang village to tourism

The secluded beauty of Saihantaohai village in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will become more accessible next year with the introduction of new transport links. (Photo by Ma Lixin/For chinadaily.com.cn)

The secluded beauty of a remote village in Hejing county of the Bayingolin Mongolian autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, will become more accessible next year with the completion of a new highway and expressway.

At an astonishing elevation of 2,400 meters, Saihantaohai village hides deep in the Bayanbulak Grassland among snow-capped mountains that tower on all sides. Its name translates to "beautiful valley" in Mongolian.

Spruce forests rise around the village like tiered pagodas, and a winding river flows through meadows and woodlands, where Tianshan red deer (Cervus elaphus songaricus) can occasionally be seen wandering or grazing.

The secluded beauty of Saihantaohai village in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will become more accessible next year with the introduction of new transport links. (Photo by Ma Lixin/For chinadaily.com.cn)

A group of local photographers recently explored the village's pristine landscape. According to Liu Xiaofen, vice-chairwoman of the prefecture's photographers association, the 129-kilometer Tourism Highway S340, which will link Bayingolin's Luntai and Hejing counties, is scheduled to open next year, finally connecting the world to the area's natural splendor.

Ahead of that opening, a 320-km expressway connecting Urumqi, Xinjiang's regional capital, with Bayingolin's Yuli county is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The secluded beauty of Saihantaohai village in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will become more accessible next year with the introduction of new transport links. (Photo by Ma Lixin/For chinadaily.com.cn)

During a cultural and tourism promotion event in Urumqi on Monday, officials from Hejing county highlighted that this expressway will reduce the travel time between Urumqi and Hejing from around six hours to just two.

While introducing recommended travel routes and key scenic spots along the expressway, the officials expressed confidence that the improved infrastructure would inject momentum into the county's cultural and tourism industry development.

Saihantaohai village in Hejing county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is a secluded haven for wildlife. (Photo by Ma Lixin/For chinadaily.com.cn)