Tacheng prefecture, one of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's most diverse settlements of ethnic groups, continues to achieve greater standards in overall construction thanks to its unwavering commitment to national unity.

Families encompassing members of different ethnic groups are common in Tacheng, and their stories are a testament to harmony and cultural fusion.

"Our family is a big household that has members from several ethnic groups. When it comes to festivals, children and relatives come from different places, and everyone shows their strengths by making a full table of traditional dishes, which is especially grand," said resident Bai Zhijun.

Bai, 49, who lives in the Haldun community of Tacheng, has a large family consisting of five ethnic groups: Uyghur, Tatar, Hui, Han and Uzbek. The community is home to 1,510 households and 3,821 residents, including 14 ethnic groups. The proportion of ethnic minorities in the population is 66.69 percent.

"During traditional festivals, our community organizes ethnic unity and friendship activities. Through activities such as talent shows, discussions and interactive games, people from different ethnic groups engage in multilevel and diverse interactions," said Bahargul, Party secretary of the Haldun community. "Like pomegranate seeds tightly held together, people from various ethnic groups embrace each other closely, conveying the concept of ethnic unity to a wider audience through laughter and joy."

Since ancient times, people of various ethnic groups in Tacheng have lived in harmony, shared joy and sorrow and nurtured a spirit of patriotism passed down through generations of long-term production and life activities. The prefecture has been recognized by the country and autonomous region with 59 exemplary collective units and 111 exemplary person-times for ethnic unity and progress. It has gained seven demonstration units at the national level for ethnic unity and progress, and 40 demonstration units at the autonomous region level.

Moreover, the prefecture's county-level cities of Tacheng and Wusu as well as Emin county, Hoboksar Mongolian autonomous county and Tuoli county have been designated as national demonstration counties and cities for ethnic unity and progress.

In recent years, Tacheng prefecture has prioritized the improvement of people's livelihoods and the cohesion of all ethnic groups as the starting point and goal for the region's social and economic development. To that end, at least 70 percent of the general public budget spending and more than 80 percent of funds aiding Xinjiang have been allocated to safeguarding and improving the livelihood of residents.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), Tacheng prefecture has completed renovations of 107 old residential areas for 18,500 households and 3,897 residential units. There are now nine air routes connecting 12 cities in and outside Xinjiang, and the transportation of both passengers and freight on Karamay-Tacheng Railway has steadily increased. All counties are now accessible by expressways, and construction of gas and electricity infrastructure in Tacheng has been accelerated.

The prefecture's ecological environment has likewise been dramatically upgraded, and people of all ethnic groups live and work in peace and prosperity, making the foundation for development more solid. The sense of gain, happiness and security has continued to improve, local officials said.

In addition, Tacheng has gone the extra mile to build a spiritual home shared by all ethnic groups.

Efforts have been made to conduct relevant research and promotional activities for the sense of national unity, including the cultures of different ethnic groups and integrating Chinese culture into daily life. For example, for the last Mid-Autumn Festival, the Hoboksar Mongolian autonomous county organized a series of cultural events that brought people together through diverse forms of art such as poetry recitation and dance to foster a spirit of ethnic unity.

"The festival became even more unforgettable because of the community activities. We sang and danced together, and I felt very warm. People from all ethnic groups united and got along harmoniously. I believe that life in the future will become better and better," said Su Busheng, a resident of Hoboksar.

In recent years, Tacheng prefecture has jointly created an open and inclusive multicultural environment, relying on traditional Chinese holidays such as the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival to promote the protection, inheritance and utilization of intangible cultural heritage projects of ethnic groups such as Nowruz Festival and Saban Festival.

In 2023, Tacheng gathered 4,528 people from 18 ethnic groups to jointly play My Motherland and Me on accordion using a combination of online and offline methods, setting a new national record. Additionally, the heroic epic Dzhangar has been listed in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage list. It displays the rich and diverse charm and inclusive qualities of traditional Chinese culture.

Other activities to foster ethnic unity include the joint efforts of the county-level city of Wusu and a local military division, along with primary schools in Emin county, to organize friendship activities.

"Tacheng will continue to fully leverage the powerful role of a united front in rallying people and gathering strength, consolidating the achievements of being designated as a national model for ethnic unity and progress while leading the prefecture in strengthening the awareness of the Chinese national community," said Zhou Guangmin, deputy director of Tacheng's united front work department.