The “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” event was launched in Hami City

       On June 14, 2019, the “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” event was officially launched in Hami City. The event was hosted by the People's Government of Hami City, organized by the Hami Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism and Hainan Satellite TV, co-organized by the Global Times, and supported by the China Red Cross Foundation as a public welfare initiative. It aimed to create a new image of “Famous Silk Road City · Sweet Hami” through the integration of “tourism + public welfare.” 

Opening dance performance at the launch ceremony of the “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami”

    One Yuan Watermelon Check-in Season

    Hami serves as a crucial hub connecting Xinjiang with the rest of China, showcasing the stunning landscapes of “Beautiful Xinjiang” and acting as a resource reservoir for the region. Hami is also the hometown of the Hami melon—so much so that the fruit shares its name with the city, and vice versa. Each July coincides with the Hami Melon Festival. The “Watermelon Check-in” activity emerged during the melon harvest season as an initiative to boost regional tourism across Xinjiang and support public welfare efforts.

    The “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” allows visitors to participate in the “Watermelon Check-in” activity simply by donating one yuan. This enables them to enjoy free watermelons and visit various scenic spots in Hami without charge.

Leaders from the Hami Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism explain the event process

    The “Watermelon Check-in” activity runs from July 1, 2019, to October 10, during which visitors can scan a QR code to access the donation channel and support the Red Cross first aid station project at the scenic areas. A minimum donation of one yuan grants exclusive “Watermelon Check-in” privileges and a “Free Entry Voucher” to scenic spots. By setting this voucher as their phone wallpaper, visitors can explore eight major scenic spots in Hami.

    The eight scenic spots participating in the “Watermelon Check-in” activity include the Hami Royal Palace, Hami Melon Garden, Hami Devil City, Dawachi, Baonong “July 1st” Night Market, Mingsha Mountain, Barkol Ancient City, and Populus Euphratica Forest Ecological Park. At each location, visitors can collect a physical “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” card. Collecting six or eight cards earns them “Hami Tourism Gift Packs” of varying values.  

    Additionally, visitors who receive the “Free Entry” wallpaper and the “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” cards can enjoy free entry to scenic spots within Hami City from July 1 to December 31.

    Tourism Supports Public Welfare

    All donations made by visitors will be published on the Global Times website and allocated and implemented in batches by the China Red Cross Foundation.

    A portion of the donations will go toward building Red Cross first aid stations in scenic areas, enhancing emergency response capabilities and meeting tourists’ urgent medical needs. Another portion will fund the creation of comprehensive volunteer service bases, offering first aid training and organizing volunteer activities to support the development of public welfare tourism.

Three parties launch the “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” event

    During the event, the Global Times will collaborate with online platforms such as Ctrip to jointly promote public welfare and support Hami. Meanwhile, major central media outlets—including People’s Daily, China National Radio, Xinhua Net, China International Online, China.com.cn, and China Daily—will provide joint coverage of the “Watermelon Check-in” activity. Over 200 online media platforms, including Sina, Sohu, Tencent, NetEase, Qianlong Net, Xinhua Online, Global Fashion, and China Finance Network, will also join voices to highlight how tourism supports public welfare and gathers love in Hami.

    The “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” and “Watermelon Check-in” activities will bolster the Hami Melon Festival and the development of regional tourism in Hami. They aim to pioneer new pathways for implementing “Tourism+” strategies in Hami, fostering deeper integration of “Tourism + Culture,” “Tourism + Internet,” “Tourism + Sports,” “Tourism + Agriculture,” and “Tourism + Ecology.” These efforts will enhance Hami’s tourism visibility and reputation, playing a positive role in establishing the new image of “Famous Silk Road City · Sweet Hami.”

Donation QR Code for the “One Yuan Public Welfare Tour to Hami” Project

    Introduction to Scenic Spots in the “Watermelon Check-in” Activity:

    Mingsha Mountain Scenic Spot

    The snow-capped peaks of the Eastern Tianshan Mountains, pine forests, grasslands, sand dunes, and streams naturally form a breathtaking three-dimensional landscape. The towering mountains shield the area from noise, creating a heavenly sense of tranquility. This 280-kilometer-long natural forest belt, composed of Tianshan spruce and Siberian larch, is a unique feature of Xinjiang, showcasing the wonders of nature in full splendor. Amidst the mountains and vast grasslands lies a prominent sand dune—Mingsha Mountain. Formed over hundreds of millions of years from weathered and accumulated quartz and feldspar, the sand dune spans approximately 5 kilometers in length, 3 kilometers in width, and sits at an altitude of around 2,000 meters. It is surrounded by the Taishui River and Liutiao River. Hami’s Mingsha Mountain is renowned for having the loudest singing sands among China’s four major singing sand dunes, making it a unique spectacle in the grasslands.

Hami Yardang Scenic Area (Devil City Scenic Area)

    National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction

    Hami Yardang is the most concentrated distribution area of yardang landforms in China, covering a total area of about 4,000 square kilometers. The dramatic variations in elevation and diverse individual formations create a majestic overall landscape. This area is also where a new species of pterosaur—the Tianshan pterosaur—was discovered. In 2016, the Hami Pterosaur-Yardang Geopark was designated as a Xinjiang Geopark. The Yardang self-driving route has been named “Xinjiang’s Most Adventurous Self-Driving Route.”

    Dawachi Scenic Spot

    Dawachi, named after the vast sandy desert, is also known as the Sand Sea Route, originating from fragments of the Tang Dynasty’s “Xizhou Map” in Dunhuang manuscripts. It features ancient castles, beacon towers, post stations, prehistoric human settlements, fossil hills, mirages, wild camel herds, and numerous rare geographical formations. During the Han Dynasty, Dawachi served as a passage on the Silk Road from Dunhuang to Turpan. Due to its desolate conditions and lack of water sources, it was gradually abandoned after the Tang Dynasty and faded from public knowledge. It was only recently rediscovered by photography enthusiasts, drawing renewed global attention. Among its highlights is the “Mars Base” created by Old Bu Travel in Dawachi, offering high-end customized journeys that provide a memorable, movie-like experience. In early 2018, the Hami Yardang Dawachi was listed among Xinjiang’s nine iconic landscapes.

Populus Euphratica Forest Ecological Park in Yiwu

    National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction

    It is the most ancient, densely clustered, and uniquely shaped primeval populus euphratica forest among the world’s three major populus euphratica forests, hailed as a “living fossil from the Tertiary Period” and regarded as a museum of abstract art. It has successively been awarded multiple honors such as “National Desert Park” and “Creative Base of the Xinjiang Photographers Association.” The Yiwu Golden Autumn Populus Euphratica Festival held every National Day attracts a large number of photography enthusiasts for sightseeing and photography.

Ancient City of Barkol Scenic Area

    NationalAAAA

    The Ancient City of Barkol is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. Known as the “region with the most temples in all of Xinjiang,” it is the birthplace of Han culture in Xinjiang. Han and Tang dynasties, Han and Manchu dual cities, ancient city walls, traditional residences, ancient granaries, historical ruins, ancient beacon towers, and historic inscriptions all illustrate the long and rich history and culture of Hami. The Barkol Grassland is one of the three major grasslands in Xinjiang, with fertile land and lush pastures. In summer, the grassland becomes a green paradise and a paradise for herders.

Hami Royal Mansion Scenic Spot

    This site was once the palace of the Hami King, the local feudal lord of the Uyghur people in Hami during the Qing Dynasty. It features the characteristics of traditional Han-style carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions, and towers, as well as domed arches and Mongolian-style helmet roofs. It is an artistic treasure that integrates the architectural styles of the Han, Manchu, Mongolian, and Uyghur peoples, and enjoys the reputation of the “Land of Gold.”

Hami Melon Garden Scenic Area

    NationalAAA

    Located 17 kilometers south of Hami City, it is a comprehensive specialty tourism base that integrates Hami melon cultivation, tasting, historical culture, folk customs, and cultural relics. The Karatari Village within the Hami Tribute Melon Garden was once the planting site of tribute melons for the Hami Kings throughout the dynasties, where the Hami tribute melons of those years were grown.

Baonong Qiyi Night Market

    The Baonong Qiyi Night Market is a night market project based on the Baonong Farmers' Market. It has 92 fixed food stalls, including attractions such as a children’s playground and a small commodities area, providing residents of Hami with an integrated nightlife destination for eating, drinking, entertainment, fun, and shopping. To enrich the amateur cultural life of Hami residents and improve their quality of life, the Baonong Qiyi Night Market has been designated as the “Yizhou District New Rural Melon Fragrance Grand Stage Cultural Performance Square.”