Amiragul Abdul, principal of a kindergarten in Bachu county of Kashgar prefecture, shared in her speech at the gathering how she has personally witnessed the tangible changes in Xinjiang.

She recalled that when she first started working, the kindergarten was still a mud-brick building with very basic facilities, and many children of kindergarten age were still playing in the fields.

"Today, all preschool children in rural areas of Xinjiang can enjoy three years of free education, and kindergartens have become the most beautiful buildings in the villages," she said.

"Changes are not just in infrastructure," she added. "Over the years, through the assistance program for Xinjiang, our children have frequently connected via video with peers in kindergartens thousands of kilometers away, singing, dancing and practicing calligraphy together."

In this way, the seeds of fostering a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community are taking root in their hearts, she said.

Urumqi bus driver Gu Xiangfeng told the gathering that in his more than 30 years in the industry, he has experienced the rapid changes across the city while driving daily through its streets.

"The city's roads used to be mostly gravel, turning muddy after rain or snow. Today, bumpy dirt roads have become smooth asphalt avenues, and the old buses have been replaced by green new energy vehicles, making commuting far more convenient for the public," Gu said.

"In the days ahead, I will continue to hold the steering wheel, drive safely every kilometer, serve every passenger wholeheartedly, and contribute all my strength to building a modern socialist Xinjiang," he said.

Xi left Urumqi for Beijing on Thursday after attending events in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region.

Instructed by Xi, a central delegation headed by Wang will visit various places in Xinjiang from Thursday to Sunday and convey greetings to people of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society.