Chinese soldiers who serve in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Photo: VCG

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) command in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has set up a free online lottery offering unique prizes from the region.

The PLA Xinjiang Military Area Command under China's Western Theater Command initiated the lottery on Sunday, the day it opened its official Sina Weibo account.

The lottery winner will receive eight meaningful gifts relating to the PLA's Xinjiang command, including a leaf from the Xiaobaiyang watchtower at the China-Kazakhstan border and a stone from the Alashankou port. 

The winner will also receive souvenirs from remote border defense companies.

The command called its lottery "the most hardcore in history."

The winner will be randomly selected on Saturday from netizens who forward the command's lottery post on Sina Weibo.

"The gifts are very meaningful," Jin Canrong, associate dean of Renmin University of China's School of International Studies in Beijing, said in his repost.

The Xinjiang command opened its Weibo account on Monday with the user name "Karakoram Guardian."