China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Xizang Autonomous Region have seen record tourist arrivals so far this year, leveraging unique cultural resources and enhanced infrastructure to attract visitors amid a nationwide push for high-quality tourism development. In Xinjiang, autumn has transformed the Tianshan Mountains into a picturesque destination. At the Nalati Scenic Area in Yili Prefecture, early snowfall accents golden forests, while along the Tarim River, populus euphratica forests have reached their peak viewing season. New facilities including parking lots, lakeside bike trails, and camping bases have been added, with the daily number of visitors exceeding 15,000 during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period from Oct 1-8. Cultural tourism options have expanded significantly, with "heritage tours," "archaeological tours," and "museum tours" gaining popularity. In the first nine months of 2025, Xinjiang has welcomed over 260 million tourists, an increase of 8.36 percent year on year, through initiatives including low-altitude tourism, vacation-style self-driving camps, and improved facilities for elderly visitors. In Xizang, Yamdrok Lake in Shannan City has drawn crowds with improved infrastructure, while Basum Lake in Nyingchi receives approximately 6,000 daily visitors for hiking and sightseeing during the holiday, up 29 percent from last year. Xizang has launched multiple policies and promotional campaigns, including "Taste of Xizang Week," "Stargazing in Xizang," and "Winter Tours of Xizang", to support high-quality tourism development. From January to August, the region received over 57 million domestic and international visitors, an 11.3 percent year-on-year increase, with cultural industry output exceeding 10 billion yuan. Shotlist: Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent: 1. Aerial shots of snow-capped mountains, forests, vehicle moving on winding road; 2. Tourists posing for photo with horse; Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent 3. Aerial shots of autumn trees; 4. Various of tourists riding bike, taking boat tour, posing for photo; 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xu Yiren, tourist (partially overlaid with shot 6): "The scenery is exceptionally beautiful. One visit is not enough. I will definitely look for opportunities to come back again." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 6. Various of autumn foliage, lakeside view [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent 7. Aerial shot of Qiuci Museum; 8. Various of visitors in museum, interactive devices, exhibits on display; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent 9. Various of hot air balloon, tourists in basket; 10. Aerial shot of yurts; 11. Various of tourists walking, dancing with performers; Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent 12. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Gul Ablime, director, Department of Culture and Tourism of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (ending with shots 13-16): "We strengthen the integration of culture and tourism to boost the development of the cultural tourism industry. By establishing cultural tourism clusters, we upgrade both infrastructure and services, striving to transform the sector into an economic pillar that improves livelihoods and public well-being."; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent 13. Lakeside view; 14. Various of paragliding, hot air balloon; 15. Lakeside view; 16. Tourists engaging in cultural activity; Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Recent 17. Snow-capped mountains, hot air balloon; Shannan City, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Recent 18. Aerial shots of Yamdrok Lake scenic area, tourists; 19. Various of visitors dancing, taking photos; Nyingchi City, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Recent 20. Aerial shot of Basum Lake; 21. Various of tourists hiking, sightseeing; 22. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen, tourist (full name not given) (ending with shot 23): "The lake water here is quite clear, and the scenery is beautiful. It brings a joyful feeling, perfect for photography."; 23. Aerial shots of lake, boats sailing; Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Recent 24. Aerial shots of buildings, natural scenery; 25. Various of tourists walking, posing for photo, riding horse, buying souvenirs, queuing, kayaking, dancing; Lhasa City, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Recent 26. Potala Palace; 27. Cityscape; 28. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Chuanzhou, director, Industrial Development Division, Department of Culture and Tourism of Xizang Autonomous Region (ending with shots 29-32): "Leveraging Xizang's cultural and scenic strengths, we are developing a modern tourism model that highlights our distinctive local culture, stunning plateau landscapes, and special experiences. This will boost high-quality tourism growth and stimulate the market."; 29. Various of waterside view, birds flying; 30. Train moving; 31. Traffic on mountainous road; 32. Aerial shots of grasslands, snow-capped mountains. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]