GD visitors to reach 1.15 million in Kashgar

RECENTLY, more than 500 Guangdong visitors returned from their trip to Kashgar by Yuexin train, a train that runs between Guangdong and Xinjiang for tourism purposes. The train is part of Guangdong’s effort to support the development of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Since last year, over 600,000 people from Guangdong have visited Kashgar, boosting the economy and tourism there. This year, the number of tourists from Guangdong Province will reach 1.15 million.

With the assistance of Guangdong Province, over 18,000 courtyards in Kashgar have been renovated, improving the life quality of local residents and providing visitors with a comfortable place.

Training hospital

to be built

A COOPERATION agreement was signed by Jia Xingdong, president of Shenzhen Polytechnic, and Li Yuhong, director of Kashgar People’s Hospital, to jointly build a training hospital.

The Shenzhen institute also donated a batch of teaching equipment to Kashgar People’s Hospital, in cooperation with the People’s Medical Publishing House.

At the signing ceremony, Jia said: “I believe the move will not only offer Uyghur students internship opportunities and help their career development, but also enhance cultural exchange and promote the all-round development of education and research in Xinjiang.”

97 poverty-stricken households receive aid

TEN ewes and starting funds were given to 10 peasant household representatives as seeds to help them start family breeding businesses during a ceremony at the No. 17 Village of Boshikeranmu in Kashgar on Aug. 20.

Families that have performed outstandingly economically since receiving starting funds last year also received awards. The ceremony was part of a poverty relief program sponsored by the Shenzhen headquarters for poverty-alleviation projects in Xinjiang and the Kashgar Civil Affairs Bureau.

It is estimated that 97 poverty-stricken households received aid from the program. In addition to the 150 households in 2015, a total of 247 households have now benefited from the program.

The poverty-alleviation program has provided poor families with 985 ewes and 50 cows. Since the program, with investment of over 7.7 million yuan (US$1.13 million) launched in 2011, a total of 1,527 households in 11 villages in Kashgar have benefited. To date, more than 80 percent of the households have reportedly increased their income by more than 10,000 yuan in two years. (A Ding)