The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is definitely the most popular tourism destination in China this summer. CGTN has produced a 3-episode series, to show how the region is improving services for visitors. In the first episode, let's visit the regional capital, Urumqi. A popular food street has gone viral for its authentic Xinjiang cuisine. But can it keep attracting tourists? Let's follow CGTN reporter Guo Tianqi to find out. 

To understand a place, you must know its food. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has a vast territory, a multi-ethnic population, and of course, a delectable cuisine.

GUO TIANQI Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "Almost every Xinjiang dish you can imagine can be found here. With its affordable prices and authentic taste, it's been the hottest food street on social media since last year."

"We are from Foshan, Guangdong Province. We followed the guide on social media to this street. The food here is very delicious."

"We just landed at noon today, and we came straight here. I think I would gain 5 kg after this trip to Xinjiang."

Delicious food is the magic magnet here. Merchants from Hotan in Southern Xinjiang have settled here since the 1960s, bringing their local cuisine with them. The street is named after the city. This community has also become a paradise for local foodies, who come from more than 20 Chinese ethnic groups, such as Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui and Han.

AYSAJAN Restaurant Owner "We are five brothers, we're from Hotan. Our beef and mutton are freshly delivered from northern Xinjiang every morning. We only provide the highest quality food for everyone."

"I live here, and we eat here all the time. The food is very good."

Tourism in Xinjiang has soared in recent years. In the first half of this year, Xinjiang received more than 11 million tourists, an increase of 16 percent year-on-year. The huge number of tourists has also stretched the resources of this ordinary residential area. Community workers have set up service stations to provide water, medical kits, AED defibrillators and so on to tourists.

SUN YINGYING Community Secretary, Hotan Street "Hotan Street is only 600 meters long, has 192 shops. Now we are restricting vehicles from 12 in the morning to 12 noon, and we arranged 6 restrooms especially for tourists."

ALPHA Restaurant Owner "We have become very popular since March last year. We originally made lamb BBQ buns, but tourists prefer beef, so we changed to beef. We haven't raised prices ever and will not in the future."

Xinjiang has lots of hidden treasures for tourism. The sudden wave brought by social media is also pushing the local government to continuously improve services for tourists, and keeping up the vitality of the tourism economy.

Guo Tianqi, CGTN, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.