A place to stay

Young people from outside Xinjiang have also sensed opportunity in the flourishing sector.

In November 2019, Wang Wei and Zhang Jiayi traveled from Henan province's Zhengzhou city to Kashgar to unshackle themselves from the fast-paced, stressful daily routine of working at an internet company.

A local man gave them a guided tour of the lanes and streets of the Ancient City of Kashgar, where the idea of renting a house and running a guesthouse struck the pair.

Wang, 30, says that she has traveled to many domestic and foreign cities, where she often chooses guesthouses as her accommodation. The lifestyle of a guesthouse owner has always been appealing to her.

"The uniqueness of Kashgar convinced me that tourism here was going to take off," Wang adds.

They currently rent two houses, covering nearly 400 sq m in total, in which they run a cafe and a guesthouse, both under the name Muse.

Wang notes that, during her preparation for the guesthouse's opening, she received help and care from both their new neighbors and the local government, which grants subsidies to all the guesthouse owners as a stimulus for tourism development.

"Here, many strangers I come across in the street will greet me with big smiles and the adorable children from the neighborhood often come to play in my yard after school, which is so different from the sense of alienation I've experienced in big cities," she says.

Her best local friend is 25-year-old Almira Abduhani, who is someone she used to interact with on the social media platform, Sina Weibo. After they met each other in person in Kashgar, Almira would often visit her to help out.

"She often helped us clean the house, water the flowers, entertain our guests and show them around the scenic area. She is now a third partner in our guesthouse business," says Wang.

Once a media practitioner, Wang aims to network with her media contacts back in Zhengzhou to help promote the nuts, fruits and other agricultural produce that are abundant in Kashgar.

She is also collaborating with some travel agencies to work out travel packages that ensure tourists enjoy an in-depth travel experience in Kashgar.

"Kashgar is in need of talented people and resources that can help to tap the potential of the city's tourism and related sectors," she says.