Farmers harvest tourism income in rural Xinjiang
China DailyA fisherman displays his catch during a winter fishing festival at Ulungur Lake, which attracts many tourists, on Jan 7. URUMQI — As the night closed in, Damingul Kohayip's kitchen became increasingly busy, filled with the sound of chopping, a blazing fire, and boiling water. The signature dish was a broth made with the two local specialties — freshwater fish from the nearby Ulungur Lake and lamb raised by local herdsmen, says Damingul Kohayip, who runs an agritainment business in Akwutkel village of Fuhai county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Home to the largest natural fishery base in northern Xinjiang, Fuhai in Altay prefecture turned its tradition of winter fishing into a tourism festival featuring ice fishing performances, ice-and-snow sports, and other activities in 2005. Fuhai now has more than 120 farm stays, providing more than 2,000 job opportunities, says Adelbek Abaydulla, head of the county government, adding that the county is pushing for the integrated development of its animal husbandry, farming, and ice-and-snow tourism industries.