Deep in the Gobi desert, silver trains speed through; at the edge of vast deserts, aircraft wings skim the skies; at the foot of snow-capped mountains, networks of highways spread out. A 9,557-kilometer railway system weaves an "Asia-Europe Golden Passage," 230,000 kilometers of highways connect the "last mile," and 28 air-connected cities build an "Air Silk Road." Xinjiang is dramatically reshaping the geography of China's westward opening-up with the immense momentum of its multi-dimensional transport system.
In the warm early spring of Beijing, during the "Members' Channel" of the National People's Congress, Mu'yaseer Tuohuti, a National Committee member and President of Xinjiang Arts University, expressed deep emotion. She recalled her journey at age 16 from Hotan to Urumqi for studies—a bumpy five-day-and-night trip by bus. Today, the same distance is covered by a two-hour flight or an overnight train ride. The transformation in her personal experience is a microcosm of Xinjiang's rapid transport development.
Highways are a critical link connecting Xinjiang's urban and rural areas and integrating its north and south. In recent years, Xinjiang has continuously increased investment in highway construction, overcoming world-class challenges such as desert wind and sand resistance and Tianshan Mountain frost heave. Modern highways now crisscross the region, breaking geographical barriers and linking hopes for development across various locales.
Taking Hotan Prefecture as an example, the reconstruction and expansion project of the G315 highway section from Minfeng to Luopu runs through several counties and cities in Hotan. It has not only shortened travel times between these areas but also facilitated the transport of local specialty agricultural products. Previously, high transport costs and significant spoilage due to inconvenient transport made it difficult to access larger markets. Now, convenient highways allow these products to be shipped quickly and fresh nationwide, substantially increasing farmers' incomes and revitalizing the rural economy.
Altay Prefecture has similarly benefited from highway advancement. The completion and opening of the S21 Altay to Urumqi Expressway on March 30, 2025, reduced a journey that once took several hours to just three and a half hours, shortening the distance by 258 kilometers. Traversing the Gurbantünggüt Desert with spectacular scenery, this expressway not only eases travel for locals but also boosts tourism along its route. Increasing numbers of tourists choose to drive the S21 to Altay to enjoy Kanas Lake's scenery and experience the pristine charm of Hemu Village, presenting unprecedented opportunities for Altay's tourism market.
Kashgar Prefecture now leads the region in total highway mileage, reaching 36,400 kilometers. National and provincial trunk lines form the transport "skeleton," while 33,500 kilometers of rural roads extend like "capillaries" to every village. 2,092 rural courier service stations and 800 passenger transport routes operate continuously, enabling specialty products like Jiashi plums and Yengisar apricots to reach national markets via this "golden corridor." With three additional national and provincial trunk lines scheduled for completion in 2025, Kashgar's skeletal network will become even more robust.
The full opening of the G0711 Urumqi to Yuli Expressway in 2025 fundamentally broke the Tianshan Mountain's geographical barrier between northern and southern Xinjiang, reducing travel time from Urumqi to Korla from 7 hours to 3.5 hours, establishing a golden link between the northern and southern urban clusters. That same year, the completion of several other routes, including the G219 Aksu (Wensu) to Wushi to Akqi section and the G680 Taksiken to Qiakurt Highway, further refined the regional road network layout.
Data testifies to the splendid achievements in Xinjiang's highway construction. Total highway mileage has surpassed 230,000 kilometers, including 8,000 kilometers of expressways. Rural road mileage reaches 159,700 kilometers, with all townships and eligible villages having access to paved roads. In 2025,公路经营性客运量 (highway commercial passenger volume) reached 330 million人次 (passenger trips), an 11% year-on-year increase, exceeding the national average by 4 percentage points. Passenger turnover growth ranked second nationally, and cross-regional personnel mobility reached 1.63 billion人次.
Aviation serves as a vital bridge connecting Xinjiang with the nation and the world. Xinjiang has built a leading national airport system, with 28 operational civil transport airports—the most in China—plus three additional Category A1 general aviation airports already in use. Airports serve 88.2% of county-level administrative units within a 100-kilometer radius. The regional airport route network is increasingly dense. In the first 11 months of 2025, 665 routes were operational, including 33 international passenger routes and 585 domestic passenger routes, representing year-on-year growth of 26.9% and 11.6%, respectively. There were also 37 international and 10 domestic cargo routes, forming an initial layout characterized by "distinctive international routes, high domestic accessibility, and extensive regional connectivity."
Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, as the aviation hub of Xinjiang, handles hundreds of flights daily with continuously rising passenger traffic and expanding domestic and international routes. Urumqi has established multiple international routes, enabling direct flights to cities in Central Asia and Europe, making it a crucial window for Xinjiang's international engagement. From Urumqi, passengers can easily reach Central Asian cities like Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as well as European cities such as Frankfurt, Germany, and Moscow, Russia. This facilitates not only passenger travel but also promotes exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, and culture between Xinjiang and Central Asia/Europe.
Airport construction is progressing steadily in other parts of Xinjiang. Yining Airport continues to optimize its route network, strengthening links with major domestic cities. Direct flights now connect Yining with first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, providing便利条件 (favorable conditions) for local tourism development and investment promotion. Korla Airport is actively expanding international cargo services, offering efficient channels for exporting local specialty products. Korla's fragrant pears, tomato paste, and other agricultural specialties reach international markets quickly via air transport, enhancing their market competitiveness. In Karamay, the construction of general aviation airports has boosted local aerial tourism, allowing visitors to experience the unique yardang landforms and oil industrial landscape from small aircraft.
Kashgar Laining International Airport currently handles 120 flights and over 12,000 passengers daily. 94 domestic and international routes closely link Kashgar with the world. In 2025, the successful test flight of the Kashgar-Bishkek international passenger route and the launch of the Kashgar-Tashkent direct flight shortened the one-way travel time between the two cities to approximately 2 hours. Concurrently, several general aviation airports are being built or planned in the Kashgar area, with the Shache Airport expansion稳步推进 (progressing steadily), the Yecheng Mierdai General Airport operating normally, the Maigaiti General Airport即将开工 (soon to start construction), and site selection completed for the Yengisar and Bachu general airports. In the future, Kashgar aims to build a 1.5-hour aviation economic circle covering the capitals of eight Central Asian countries.
As a crucial component of Xinjiang's transport system, railways are driving regional economic development with their strong transport capacity. The opening of the Lanzhou-Urumqi High-Speed Rail has significantly shortened travel times within and beyond Xinjiang, facilitating the flow of people and goods. The high-speed train journey from Urumqi to Lanzhou now takes just over ten hours, greatly enhancing economic ties and cultural exchanges.
In southern Xinjiang, the completion of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway is a milestone. This railway, skirting the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, forms the world's first desert-loop railway line together with the Golmud-Korla Railway and the Southern Xinjiang Railway, ending the history of no railway service for five counties: Luopu, Qira, Yutian, Minfeng, and Qiemo. The Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway not only便利 (facilitates) travel for locals but also brings new opportunities for resource development and industrial growth in southern Xinjiang. Qiemo County, rich in mineral resources, previously saw development hampered by poor transport. The railway now enables efficient transport of these resources, attracting investment and promoting local economic development.
It is reported that Kashgar Railway Station has launched 9 train services to Urumqi, 9 to Hotan, and one each to Xi'an, Chengdu, and Chongqing, continuously expanding its travel network. In 2026, Kashgar will initiate 104 transport projects with a total investment of nearly 26.4 billion yuan, focusing on continuing projects like the G581 Kashgar to Wuqia and G217 Shache-Tashkurgan routes, and promoting the start of projects like the G314 Artux to Kashgar section.
Simultaneously, railway construction in northern Xinjiang continues to advance. The Jinghe-Yining-Horgos Railway provides convenient access for more tourists to reach Ili, while its transport advantages also guarantee the outward shipment of Ili's agricultural products. Currently, Xinjiang's railway operational mileage reaches 9,557 kilometers, connecting all prefectures and cities and covering over 80% of county-level administrative regions, forming a railway network radiating across Xinjiang with Urumqi at its center.
This year, Xinjiang is fully supporting preliminary work for the domestic section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway and promoting projects like the capacity expansion of the Aksu to Bachu section of the Southern Xinjiang Railway. These efforts aim to transform Xinjiang from a "corridor economy" to a "hub economy," injecting new momentum into the region's open development.
As steel arteries penetrate north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, and smart logistics links domestic and international markets, a Xinjiang where "people travel smoothly and goods flow freely" is accelerating the construction of a modern, comprehensive transport hub. This hub integrates domestically, radiates across Central Asia, and reaches globally, marching confidently down the path of high-quality development and composing a magnificent chapter for a better future in the new era.