China: Northwest China's Hotan attracts visitors with splendid tourism events during Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

Shotlist Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Aerial shot of scenery at Emerald Lake scenic area 2. Aerial shots of tourists experiencing off-road desert rides 3. Tourists experiencing off-road desert rides 4. Aerial shots of tourists on boats 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhang Haijian, tourist from Shanghai: "Because the scenery is something that is very rare to see. We can see poplar forests lining on every pool, and the water is in a vivid blue. I really love it here." 6. Various of tourists experiencing camel rides 7. Aerial shots of scenery at scenic area Storyline A wide range of tourism activities were rolled out by Hotan County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, during the just-concluded Mid-Autumn Festival holiday season, aiming to enrich local residents' and tourists' holiday experiences and boost the festive tourism market. As one of the busiest destinations in Hotan during the three-day holiday that ended Sunday, the Emerald Lake scenic area, located on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the county, introduced a slate of desert-themed activities, including off-road desert rides, boat trips and camel rides, to enhance the visitor experience. According to official data released by local authorities, the Emerald Lake scenic area recorded about 20,000 tourist visits during the holiday season. Most tourists were attracted by the magnificent oasis at the lake. The oasis is shaped by glacial meltwater from the Kunlun Mountains and a local ecological flood diversion project. Its mineral-rich waters shift from pale green to deep jade in sunlight, creating a rare scenery where sand dunes, water and stands of poplar trees coexist. "Because the scenery is something that is very rare to see. We can see poplar forests lining on every pool, and the water is in a vivid blue. I really love it here," said Zhang Haijian, a tourist from Shanghai.