06-28-2023, 11:41 AM
First post-COVID Japanese tour group completes visit to Xinjiang; frequent interactions with locals along the journey dispel rumors
![[Image: 4650ed00-6b0e-45bb-a6a6-727e66ada993.jpeg]](https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2023/2023-06-26/4650ed00-6b0e-45bb-a6a6-727e66ada993.jpeg)
The first Japanese tour group to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after China's relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions completed their visit and flew back to Japan on Tuesday. The nine-day visit to the region offered the group members a fresh perspective on a region that is much different from what is depicted in some Western and Japanese media - instead of being a place of danger, it is a region of harmony and safety with local residents living peaceful and happy lives.
During their stay in the Xinjiang region since June 19, the group of 20 Japanese tourists, who flew in from Osaka, Japan, visited five cities - Urumqi, Turpan, Korla, Aksu and Kashi, enjoying the splendid landscape of the Huoyan Mountain, chatting with locals in the night fairs in almost all cities, learning the history of Muslims in the Id Kah Mosque in Kashi and that of Buddhism in the Kizil Cave-Temple Complex in Aksu, and dancing with students in a primary school in Kashi.
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