"Across Loulan" media tour seeks to rehabilitate Xinjiang's image

Lu Chunping, deputy director of Xinjiang Provincial Cyberspace Administration Office addresses the opening ceremony of a media tour to Loulan in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on August 9, 2016 . [Photo by Wu Zheyu / chinadaily.com.cn]

The grand media tour, themed “Across Loulan”, which would explore Loulan areas via online cultural activities and offline field trips, began with an opening ceremony at its first destination: Bagrax County, in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, on August 9, 2016.

This media tour is hosted by Xinjiang Provincial Cyberspace Administration Office and the government of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and would focus on promoting ”Traditional Loulan culture, Modern Bayingolin city”, sending the message to the world that Bayingolin has done remarkable work in balancing environment protection and fostering economic development, inheriting traditional culture and creating innovative growth engines, especially in pursuing harmony between the different ethnicities.

The tour would travel into seven counties in Bayingolin, and will last ten days, guide the media group to experience a variety of folk activities, such as watching a special concert with distinctive ethnic characteristics in the desert, with most songs played by Konghou, an ancient plucked stringed instrument.

The Bosten Lake in Bagrax County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lu Chunping, deputy director of Xinjiang Provincial Cyberspace Administration Office, humorously explained that they do meet lots of difficulties when they try to promote Xinjiang to tourists in the past, because most people’s first impression of Xinjiang is of natural disasters, riots and national estrangement, which is not a fair impression. There are many misunderstandings that require the media to correct, to get the public to know more about the charming parts of Xinjiang. This journey would act as a window and a start to achieve that goal.

She further said that the local government has already prepared for this media trip for over a year, aiming to provide more facilities for the media to shape a comprehensive picture of Bayingolin for the the world, as a city with great potential.