China installs traffic lights in the desert for camels: A unique solution for Silk Road tourism
With a remarkable combination of tradition and innovation, China’s Gansu province has installed the world’s first traffic lights designed specifically for camels. This unique system addresses frequent collisions between pedestrians and camels along the famous desert route leading to the Moon Spring tourist area in Dunhuang.
Dunhuang, famous for its ancient Silk Road heritage, offers visitors the iconic experience of riding a camel through the vast desert. However, the intersection of camel roads and pedestrian roads often leads to congestion and accidents. To mitigate these problems, local authorities introduced camel-shaped traffic lights. When the light turns green, camel riders have the right of way, while a red light signals pedestrians to cross safely.
Despite this innovative solution, the large number of tourists led to camel traffic jams across the vast desert. Long waiting times have forced some travelers to seek alternative routes, leading to further congestion on the ground.
The installation of these traffic lights is an innovative but temporary solution to manage the flow of people and camels in this bustling tourist destination.
This creates curiosity for many tourists and promotes the desire to come see the Silk Road and experience for themselves the feeling of sitting on the back of a camel through this vast desert, experiencing the feeling of It’s refreshing not to have to wait for a red light in a cool car but to sit on the back of a camel in hot, desert-like weather. This will be a memorable experience for every visitor coming to this place.
