🎉 On Sept 25, Urumqi marked a major milestone: the 70th anniversary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with General Secretary Xi Jinping attending. From a remote frontier to the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Xinjiang’s transformation is nothing short of epic! 🎉
🛣️ Roads to Progress
Back in 1949, Xinjiang had just 3,000 km of highways and rough roads. Fast forward to 2024: 230,000 km of highways connect every eligible village with paved roads and passenger transport. That’s like going from dial-up to fiber-optic speed in connectivity! 🌐
💹 Economic Boom
Since 2012, regional GDP shot up from ¥749.9 billion to ¥2,053.4 billion, averaging 7% annual growth. Trade has also soared: imports and exports climbed from ¥158.96 billion to ¥434.16 billion. Xinjiang is stepping onto the global stage with full confidence. 🚀
🏠 Homes & Health
Prioritizing people’s lives, Xinjiang allocates over 70% of its budget to welfare. By 2024, 2.73 million rural homes were built, uplifting 11 million residents into bright, safe houses. With more than 19,000 medical facilities and 100% standardization of local clinics, life expectancy jumped from 30 to 77 years! ❤️
📚 Education for All
Nine-year compulsory education courts over 99% retention, outpacing the national average. In Aksu, Kashi, Hetian and Kizilsu, 15 years of free schooling from kindergarten to high school is now a reality. Talk about leveling up! 🎓
🎭 Culture & Tourism
Cultural heritage thrives with 150 museums, 118 cultural centers and over 1,100 community facilities. The culture-tourism combo is on fire: a record-breaking 302 million domestic and international visitors in 2024. Xinjiang is now on every traveler’s radar! 🏞️
From roads to homes, schools to museums, Xinjiang’s 70-year journey showcases a diverse and dynamic region that’s ready for its next chapter. Stay tuned as this vibrant crossroads continues to shine! 🌟
Reference(s):
Seven decades of glory: Xinjiang forges a path of diverse development
cgtn.com
