China-Kazakhstan border trade drives Hummer driver's dream for fortune
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E-mail Xinhua, April 12, 2017
Liu Xinwei and his long Hummer.
Liu Xinwei's long Hummer is an eye-catcher on the China-Kazakhstan border.
"In two years, tall buildings will rise up here, and opportunities are everywhere," Liu told tourists on board while driving his long Hummer in a China-Kazakhstan free trade zone.
The Horgos International Border Cooperation Center on the China-Kazakhstan border in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen an increasing number of tourists since 2012. It attracted a total of 5.43 million tourists in 2016.
Covering 5.28 square kilometers, the center opened in April 2012 as a destination for cross-border shopping. It has more than 40 duty-free shops selling luxury brands such as Omega and Versace.
The facility is the world's first cross-border free-trade zone and the biggest duty-free shopping center in west China. It allows entry of citizens from any country with valid passports or with exit and entry permits.
Since its establishment, more and more fortune-seekers have been enticed here. Liu left his home in central China's Henan Province and arrived here in July 2016. He bought a second-hand Hummer in Kazakhstan and began to work as a tour guide. Every day he drives to show tourists around the FTZ.
"The center is especially busy in May. You can earn hundreds of yuan even if you sell bottled water," Liu said.
