From sightseers to entrepreneurs: young tourists mesmerized by Kashgar start up a B&B business there

The ancient city of Kashgar sees a travel boom during the Labor Day holiday. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

"Sorry, we're fully booked."

It was a line that Wang Wei repeated to visiting tourists during the Labor Day holiday earlier this month, an entrepreneur who runs a B&B hotel together with her bestie Zhang Jiayi in the ancient city of Kashgar, a notable scenic spot in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"All of our rooms were booked between April 20 and May 10, and so were those in nearby B&B hotels," Wang said, adding that the local tourism market reached new heights during the holiday.

During the five-day holiday, Kashgar received vast numbers of tourists from all across China, pleasure-seeking visitors who came to experience the customs and culture of the ancient city.

"Just sitting quietly here and enjoying the interior decorations of the buildings would be enough to please me," said tourist Jiang Yan from southwest China's Sichuan province, who visited Kashgar for the first time and booked a room in Wang's B&B.

She was quite interested in the ethnic curtains, exquisite wood carvings, bright rooftop windows, colorful window frames, hats made of Atlas silk, as well as the Uygur folk instruments in the B&B.

Those local cultural items of interest were exactly what attracted Wang and Zhang and inspired them to start a business there.

In November 2019, the two had a trip to Kashgar after traveling from Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province. It was their first time visiting Kashgar, during which they were extremely fascinated by the unique characteristics of the city, including its ancient dwellings, hospitable local residents, ancient pottery collections and bronze wares, and all the enchanting alleyways that winded through the city.

Coincidently, they came across a house for rent along one of the alleys and promptly decided to rent it and turn it into a B&B. "We both liked the city and thought it would be a great chance for us," Wang said.

Apart from being attracted by the city’s buildings and environment, Wang and Zhang were also touched by the warmth and hospitality of the local residents.

A 71-year-old woman has continued to support them with the decoration of their B&B since when they first started renovations, producing cushions and tablecloths for them. "She comes here every day in the summer, wearing a different dress each time we see her. She’s so happy every time she sees that we are being visited by our guests," Wang told People's Daily.

According to Adiljan Abudukadir, deputy head of the management committee of the Ancient City of Kashgar, the scenic spot is home to 2,700 shops, up from 600. Local tourism has created direct job opportunities for over 7,000 people and indirect job opportunities for over 30,000 people, he reported.

Like many entrepreneurs who run businesses in Kashgar, Wang and Zhang have transformed themselves from tourists into business owners. Kashgar is a place where they have been able to realize their dreams.

"We will definitely stay here. It's a residence for us for at least the next 10 years. It's home to our business and our life," Wang said, who's quite confident about the future of their B&B business.