At dawn by the Ili River in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, snow-capped mountains gleam gold under the vast, magnificent Gobi desert, where a majestic national gate stands tall. The Doulata Port awakens with the rising sun, ready for another bustling day.
On May 12th, a tour group of 25 Kazakhstani nationals, guided by immigration officers from the Doulata Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, orderly entered the restricted area. After identity verification and document checks, the group completed their exit procedures in under 30 minutes.
"Such efficiency! Thank you!" the travelers exclaimed, smiling and giving thumbs-up to the officers on duty.
This scene is a microcosm of the daily work at the Doulata Border Inspection Station.
Borne on the winds of the Belt and Road Initiative, this ancient yet vibrant port is experiencing unprecedented vitality, with more compelling stories unfolding beneath the national gate.
**Efficient and Smooth Inspection Procedures** "A 'big one' is coming through!" said officer Li Xiaolong to his colleague on the morning of May 11th. Following his gaze, a convoy of red specialized trucks slowly entered the inspection lane, each carrying blue-and-white cylindrical structures approximately 40 meters long, resembling a steel dragon from afar.
"These are wind turbine towers," Li Xiaolong explained with pride. "Each section is about 40 meters, and the complete assembly is nearly 120 meters tall. They're being shipped abroad to light up homes far away."
As he spoke, the lead truck came to a steady stop in the waiting area. The driver cut the engine, and Li Xiaolong and his partner promptly began their inspection.
Document verification was precise and accurate. Next was the vehicle check. Li Xiaolong skillfully climbed onto the truck, standing on tiptoe or crouching to meticulously examine key components of the equipment. His partner knelt on one knee, leaning in to inspect the undercarriage with a tool, tapping the chassis inch by inch to listen for any anomalies. Within minutes, the entire inspection process was complete, beads of sweat already forming on their foreheads.
As soon as one vehicle departed, the next truck moved into position, and the next round of inspection began seamlessly. The coordination between vehicles and officers was smooth and默契.
The weather in the Gobi is notoriously changeable. One moment the sky was clear, the next dark clouds rolled in, and heavy rain mixed with sand began to pelt down. Sweat and rain mingled, streaming down the officers' faces. After finishing another truck inspection, Li Xiaolong lifted his arm, wiped his face with his sleeve, and turned towards the next vehicle.
"Drive safely, have a smooth journey!" "Thank you, you've worked hard!"
Despite the howling wind and rain, this simple exchange brought warmth to the drivers' hearts.
Behind this efficient and fluid process lies a continuously optimized clearance mechanism. To facilitate the smooth passage of these "white giants," the Doulata Border Inspection Station has continually refined its operational model, establishing expedited channels for "Belt and Road" projects and "specialized vehicles," and implementing a "pre-registration, appointment-based clearance" system. Companies simply need to pre-register, and their vehicles receive priority entry into the restricted area and priority inspection, significantly reducing time and operational costs. Since March 2025, the station has implemented a policy exempting Chinese cross-border transport drivers from stamping requirements for filing, putting便民惠企 measures into practice.
**Technology-Enhanced Efficiency** The port's thriving activity is reflected in the constant flow of cross-border logistics and the burgeoning cross-border cultural tourism.
From the beginning of 2026 to May 14th, 2026, Doulata Port processed over 61,000 inbound and outbound personnel and more than 39,000 vehicles, representing year-on-year increases of 51.5% and 47.5% respectively compared to 2025.
The growth in passenger, vehicle, and cargo flow presents new challenges for the port's security management.
How to find the optimal balance between development and security? Addressing shortcomings such as narrow通道, outdated facilities, and insufficient capacity, the Doulata Border Inspection Station proactively engaged with aid projects and local planning. It facilitated the expansion of inspection lanes from the original 2 to 8, simultaneously upgrading supporting facilities like intelligent checkpoints and vehicle inspection platforms, and hardening waiting and inspection areas. This解决了 peak-hour congestion issues, multiplying the port's traffic handling capacity.
In terms of duty methods, the station has concurrently enhanced its technological capabilities. The approach has evolved from relying primarily on manual labor—climbing onto vehicles and inspecting undercarriages—to a "technology + human patrol" inspection model, achieving both seamless clearance and precise interception. By sharing设备 and data resources with other inspection units, the border station has established a clear,权责清晰, and高效运转 joint inspection governance system.
Furthermore, the Doulata Border Inspection Station persists in advancing reforms to its operational model, reducing registration procedures, standardizing vehicle inspection protocols, optimizing police force and post allocation, and solidifying责任 at every level. It has innovated a new "parallel joint inspection" model with customs, effectively alleviating通关 pressure. Simultaneously, it has strengthened a standardized合成作战 task force, deepened data research and verification and law enforcement case handling, improved协作 mechanisms for combating cross-border crime, and intercepts various risks and hazards before they cross the national border.
**Compassionate Assistance Safeguarding the Gateway** "Officer, I feel weak, I can't catch my breath, help me..." At 5 PM on May 13th, during an inspection of an inbound passenger bus, Doulata Border Inspection Station officers noticed a middle-aged man looking pale and swaying, on the verge of collapse. An officer immediately stepped forward to support him and heard his faint plea for help.
Every second counts in a rescue! The officer on duty quickly called for backup via radio. Zhu Changzheng, the political instructor of the second执勤队, arrived promptly and, together with on-site customs personnel, measured the man's blood pressure and temperature, finding it偏低.
According to regulations,入境旅客 must complete border inspection procedures, but this man was unable to walk to the verification counter. Zhu Changzheng made a swift decision. While instructing a colleague to call 120 for an ambulance, he reported the situation. He then leaned close to the man, quickly and carefully核对证件 and conducted identity verification. The inspector at the post rapidly processed the入境手续 and opened a green channel. Soon after completing these steps, the ambulance arrived, and officers escorted the man to the hospital. Later, the station received a call from the man's family: "Thank you so much. Because of you, he got a second chance at life..."
It is understood that to handle旅客身体突发情况, the Doulata Border Inspection Station has equipped both cargo and passenger inspection areas with Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and oxygen inhalation devices. Additionally, 95% of the station's officers have passed assessments to obtain Red Cross first aid certification. The station has also established a "Golden 30 Minutes" emergency response linkage mechanism with local hospitals, providing紧急医疗救助 86 times since 2025.
While strictly safeguarding national border security and ensuring traveler safety, the officers of the Doulata Border Inspection Station also build bridges of understanding across borders through acts of compassionate assistance. When multilingual communication poses a challenge during clearance, the station assigns officers proficient in foreign languages to appropriate posts. Using quadrilingual manuals (Chinese, English, Russian, Kazakh) and instant translation systems, they ensure language is no longer a barrier. Officers proactively offer便民服务 like咨询引导 when travelers need help. Since 2025, officers have helped recover 68 items of cross-border lost property and provided 286 instances of various暖心服务.
As the sun sets, its afterglow bathes the Gobi. International transport convoys laden with goods move slowly along the highway. Today at Doulata Port, the camel bells of the past have faded, replaced by the robust hum of engines. Against this backdrop, the藏蓝身影 of the Doulata Border Inspection Station's immigration management police will continue, as always, to guard the pathways of the Silk Road.