Clean energy greens Xinjiang's tourism industry

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been expanding the use of clean energy in the tourism industry to retain its unique magnificent scenery.

Tianchi Lake, known as Heavenly Lake, is a national 5A tourist attraction. As winter vacation is coming closer, staff of the management committee of the scenic area are stepping up preparations for the 18th Ice and Snow Festival.

The Tianchi Lake scenic area is the first in the region to fully use gas and electricity to replace coal in transportation, accommodation and catering. Now more than 95 percent of facilities in the area are using clean energy, which has helped reduce over 4,000 tonnes of coal consumption since the clean energy program began.

Tursun, a ceramist in southern Xinjiang's Kashgar, has abandoned traditional wood-burning kilns by turning to electric kilns.

"It used to cost me around 350 yuan ($50) to burn a kiln of pottery with wood charcoal. Back then, not only the success rate was much lower (due to difficulties to control the temperature), the room was also left with suffocating soot," said Tursun.