The tourist activities in Xinjiang are diverse and include but are not limited to the following:
During the Lantern Festival, various regions in Xinjiang will hold special cultural and tourism activities. For example, the ‘Snake Dancing in the Sandy Sea, Glorious Lantern Festival’ event at the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area in Shanshan County allows tourists to eat glutinous rice balls, guess lantern riddles, and taste desert hotpot in the desert; the Flaming Mountain Scenic Area has a ‘Journey to the West Bazaar’ where tourists can stroll through the market, taste special local cuisine, and participate in interactive games; the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture will also launch several cultural and tourism activities, such as lantern festivals, community fire performances, lantern riddle guessing, and fireworks shows.
During the Spring Festival, Xinjiang also hosts numerous New Year activities. For example, the 2025 Spring Festival theme series of cultural and tourism activities, ‘Celebrating the New Year in the North and South of Tianshan Mountains, Joyously Welcoming the Great Year’, includes 53 ‘auspicious start’ activities such as intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and New Year concerts, as well as up to 727 wonderful New Year activities such as celebrating the New Year in ancient cities, lighting up Chinese lanterns, and visiting New Year markets.
In addition, tourists can also experience ice and snow sports such as skiing and sleigh rides, or participate in folk activities such as bonfire parties in the ancient village of Hemu.
In daily life, there are also many tourist activities worth experiencing in Xinjiang. For example, in Urumqi, tourists can stroll through the Grand Bazaar to feel the strong ethnic flavor, climb up Hongshan Park to overlook the panoramic view, visit the Tianshan Heavenly Lake to appreciate the natural scenery, and taste authentic Xinjiang cuisine, among other activities.
In addition, Xinjiang also holds other large-scale tourist activities during specific festivals or periods, such as the series of events during the ‘5·19 China Tourism Day’, promoting and disseminating the natural scenery and cultural customs of Xinjiang.
In general, tourist activities in Xinjiang cover natural scenery, folk culture, ice and snow sports, and many other aspects, providing tourists with a colorful travel experience.