Xinjiang beckoning RV lovers

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is attracting more independent travelers this year, with about 2,000 recreational vehicles expecting to take part in a massive RV activity between May and November.

So far, more than 1,000 RV drivers have registered for the event, and the first group will set out in early May, said the general coordinator of the event, Zhai Chunfeng, of the Xinjiang Tourism Association.

This is the second year that the association has organized an RV group traveling event in Xinjiang. Last year, more than 700 RVs from 26 provinces and municipalities took part in the event, which lasted five months.

This year, the association designed 10 classic traveling routes covering the region's 48 cities and towns. The organizer aims to provide more opportunities for travelers to sample famous local foods, such as apples in Aksu and grapes in Turpan.

"Each route takes about 70 days on average, and all routes offer visitors wonderful natural scenes, cultural experiences and fantastic local cuisines," Zhai said.

Xinjiang has been described as one of China's most beautiful areas. It's vast landscape, covering one sixth of the country, is home to people from multiple ethnic groups, and their cultures have been well preserved.

The region's grassland stretches through mountain valleys, giving travelers views of green pastures against a backdrop of snowcapped mountains.

"Xinjiang's diverse cultures and breathtaking views make it an appealing destination for independent travelers, who will find the region's different charms in the four seasons," said Zhang Xiaoyu, secretary-general of the Xinjiang Tourism Association.

Last year, some RVs arrived in Xinjiang and had parking problems near many tourism destinations, which do not allow RV drivers to camp in their parking lots at peak times. Some of them also had trouble finding electricity charging poles or a water supply.

To keep such problems from discouraging tourists, the association will arrange 200 stops along the routes to help them refill and recharge.

"At each site, usually near visitor centers and farm homestays, there will be three to eight water and electricity charging locations for RVs," Zhai said.

Zhai also said more parking lots have been built in all the sites and more toilets have been built. More than 20 repair centers have been arranged along each route, he said.

Unlike last year's event, which had more RV drivers with at least four or five years' independent travel experience, Zhai said, an increasing number of young drivers are joining the tour who have had an RV for less than one year.

RV tourism has been gaining popularity in China, where there are about 100,458 RVs, 31,026 of them purchased in 2018 - a 60 percent increase over the previous year, according to campave.com, China's largest camping website.

Wang Lianwen, 47, who has 17 years of independent RV traveling experience, is new to the event this year. He said driving an RV makes traveling more interesting.

"We've been enjoying waking up in the grasslands, by the lake and in the mountains. It's much like you are traveling with your own holiday resort, which makes the trip more personalized," Wang said.

The Guangdong province resident said he is looking forward to the coming tour. "Xinjiang is perfect for traveling in RVs because the scenery is so good. To me, its natural scenery and culture are totally different from that in my hometown," he said.