Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
URUMQI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — A fan noisily sucks out plumes of smoke from a grill where skewers sizzle as diners from different parts of the country enjoy their meals, with Chinese, Kazakh, Russian and dialects from northeastern and other regions of China being heard.
At 10 p.m., Beijing residents are already getting ready for bed, while in China's westernmost city of Horgos /Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China/ the nightlife is just beginning.
Neon signs are lit up and people from different countries are crowding Binhelu Pedestrian Street in Horgos. The short pedestrian street, about 500 meters long, is half made up of convenience stores and half a food court. The stalls stock items from all over the country: hats, glasses, hoverboards, audio equipment, watches, fascia massagers, and so on.
Wang Lei from northeastern China came to Horgos in 2019 to sell at the market, specializing in consumer goods. Since then, he has been self-studying Russian and can now communicate fluently with overseas customers in Russian. The Liu Xirong couple from east China's Zhejiang Province recently arrived here and are selling bedding, using a calculator to negotiate with a customer from Kazakhstan.
Kazakh truck driver Alexander comes to Khorgos every month to transport fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers to Astana and other cities in Kazakhstan. “I’ve been driving between Kazakhstan and China for five years now, and every time I come, between loading the truck and sending it off, I come to this pedestrian street to buy goods. There’s a big choice and very cheap prices,” he says, clutching a newly purchased pillow under his arm as he picks out a T-shirt. “Now there’s a visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and China, so it’s even easier to travel.”
Amantai, 47, works as a tour guide in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and came to China with friends in his spare time. “I have Han, Kazakh, and Xibe friends in China, and I will visit them this time to spend time together.” He said there are a lot of people in Khorgos this year, and the number of Chinese tourists in Almaty has also increased by 30 percent. “This year, the tourism business is the best it has ever been.”
Dynamic Xinjiang-style music wafts from a nearby restaurant, and beer glasses clink. The other half of the pedestrian street is filled with food stalls offering a variety of gastronomic delights: Northeastern-style dumplings, Shaanxi noodles from the country’s northwest region, Korean-style fried chicken, and spicy stew from Gansu Province /northwest China/. But most of all, dishes with local flavor are available: shashlik, cold noodles, and “dapanzi” (fried chicken with vegetables and noodles).
Travelers from different countries sit together and chat, enjoying the evening breeze. Some eat noodles with chopsticks, others with forks, but the tradition of clinking glasses or glasses is the same: ice-cold beer is drunk in one gulp.
Zhao Dong, an official from the Karasu District Government of Horgos City, said, “This pedestrian street was originally a ‘flea market’ to meet the consumption needs of local residents. In the past two years, the increase in domestic and foreign tourists has attracted traders from all over China. There are now about 340 stalls here, and the daily flow of people exceeds 2,000. Since there are many hotels for foreigners nearby, this place has also become a popular attraction for overseas tourists.”
In the past, the town of Khorgos had only a main street in front of the old border crossing, “the end of which could be reached in less than half an hour.” At night, the border crossing was very quiet. In the past two years, the construction of a free trade zone and the implementation of a visa-free regime have brought life to this small border town.
Construction is actively underway in industrial and commercial zones, and cars with license plates from different countries are constantly moving on the roads. According to the latest statistics, as of September 1 this year, the number of passengers passing through the Khorgos checkpoint in both directions reached 1.08 million people, which is 29.7 percent more than in the same period last year. This shows that the door to the region's external openness is swinging wider and wider. -0-
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