What was once considered one of China’s most sensitive and dangerous regions-Xinjiang- is now drawing millions of tourists, fuelled by massive state investment and aggressive tourism campaigns. Xinjiang, long associated with allegations of repression, surveillance and human rights abuses, is being repackaged as China’s newest scenic destination. Yet travellers arriving in search of beauty and culture often leave with mixed feelings about what is being showcased—and what is being hidden.
When 35-year-old Anna planned her first trip to Xinjiang in 2015, friends were shocked. One even cancelled her plans and stopped responding to messages after her parents forbade her from going near the region. Despite the warnings, Anna travelled anyway—first in 2015 and again this year. The dramatic landscapes, dusty Silk Road towns and snow-capped mountains were just as unforgettable as before. The only difference, she says, was the crowds: “Xinjiang was beautiful, but there were far too many tourists now, especially at the major attractions.”
A decade ago, few domestic tourists chose Xinjiang. The region, home to Turkic-speaking Muslim minorities including the Uyghurs, had been marked by ethnic tension, separatist violence and tight security. Later came the global outcry: detention of more than a million Uyghurs in what China describes as “re-education” centres, allegations of forced labour and UN accusations of crimes against humanity. China denies the claims, but foreign journalists and researchers struggle to access the region freely, while Uyghur families abroad continue to report missing relatives.
Despite the scrutiny, Xinjiang’s tourism numbers have surged. Beijing has pumped billions of yuan into infrastructure, new airports, high-speed highways and luxury hotels. State-backed TV dramas and social media influencers now promote the region as an exotic destination filled with “ethnic” dances, bazaars, camel rides and desert adventures. Chinese authorities say close to 300 million tourists visited in 2024—more than double the number in 2018—bringing in around 360 billion yuan in revenue. With over 200 international hotel brands operating or building in the region, Beijing’s goal is even bigger: more than 400 million visitors a year by 2030.
Foreign visitors remain a minority, but their numbers are rising. For 23-year-old Singaporean traveller Sun Shengyao, Xinjiang felt like “New Zealand, Switzerland and Mongolia all packed into one place.” He and his friends spent days driving from Urumqi’s crowded streets into grasslands and mountain valleys. Many of the drivers and tour guides, like the region’s expanding population, are Han Chinese. Sun says the few Uyghurs he spoke to were friendly, though interactions were limited. He returned convinced that Xinjiang is misunderstood. “If I can inspire one person to learn more, I would have helped reduce the stigma,” he says.
Yet even Sun noticed the heavy security presence, from police checkpoints to surveillance cameras, and the rule requiring foreigners to stay only in designated hotels. He brushed it off as an inconvenience rather than a warning sign.
But some visitors are less convinced. Singaporean traveller Thenmoli Silvadorie, who spent 10 days in Xinjiang wearing a hijab, hoped to experience authentic Uyghur culture. Instead, she says, it felt controlled. Local vendors told her they envied that she could freely wear her hijab, but deeper conversations never happened. Most mosques were closed to tourists, and the sense of being monitored was hard to ignore. “We were curious to learn, but it felt like we were only shown what we were allowed to see,” she says.
As Xinjiang transforms into a Chinese tourism powerhouse, its polished new image sits sharply against continuing allegations of cultural erasure and forced assimilation. President Xi Jinping has called for the “Sinicisation of religion” and praised the region’s “earth-shattering” development, even as Uyghur communities abroad say their families have vanished.
