Which country was the first to install traffic lights for camels?
From the 2nd century BC to the 18th century, caravans of Bactrian camels connected the Far East to Europe via northeast China and Central Asia’s desolate mountain passes and high-altitude deserts. Today the traders have largely been replaced by tourists.
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring is a popular tourist location on the edge of the Gobi Desert. It is located near Dunhuang City, Gansu province, in China. One of its specialities is providing – as far as possible – authentic and spectacular desert experiences for tourists. One of these is camel-riding tours: they are a big attraction for visitors who are encouraged to imagine themselves as ancient travellers on the Silk Road. Another is simply walking amongst the sand-dunes of the Gobi.
There was a problem. The area was, perhaps, a little too successful. Tour organisers were encountering regular traffic chaos where the camel trails intersected with pedestrian walkways. Farmers with camels also crossed the area. Camel collisions were reported.
As a solution, workers cut gaps in the paved routes for the camel caravans to pass and installed special traffic lights: the system went live in April 2021. The signals show the traditional green and red pedestrian images; but they also display the distinctive image of the local, two-humped Bactrian camel. Visitors to the Mingsha site are now safe from camel collisions; and the traffic lights have become an attraction themselves, with tourists stopping to photograph them.
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