Clean energy greens Xinjiang's tourism industry

Now, using an electric kiln only costs around 70 yuan, and the success rate can be as high as 90 percent. "It's cleaner and more convenient," said the pottery master.

Besides Tursun, more craftsmen, including blacksmiths, coppersmiths and carpenters in Kashgar have embraced clean energy to inherit their traditional skills in a greener way.

The Urumqi naan industrial and cultural park is a rising star in Xinjiang tourism. It showcases the history and cooking process of naan, a type of leavened flatbread and a staple food for people of ethnic groups in the region.

Traditionally, naan stoves were fueled by charcoal. But now, naan makers in the park mainly power their stoves with electricity. An approximate 60 million kWh of electricity is generated to substitute the energy provided by burning charcoal in the park each year, according to the State Grid's Urumqi power supply company. Now eight naan producers in the park can bake up to 500,000 naan a day.

The green efforts are part of the region's move to protect the local environment while further promoting its tourism industry.

Xinjiang boasts rich natural resources and marvelous landscapes, making tourism one of the fastest-growing industries in the region. In the first 10 months of 2019, Xinjiang receives 200 million tourists, up 42.62 percent year on year, a new record high.