"Four months ago, this place was still endless yellow sand and shifting dunes running wild. Today, the newly planted dogbane has taken root and built a green barrier against sand encroachment and for desert control." On August 14, beside the Yuli–Qiemo Desert Highway on the south bank of the Tarim River, more than 30 kilometers from Yuli County seat in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, over 2,300 mu of artificially planted dogbane and saxaul stretched into the distance, protected by reed-straw checkerboard barriers. Li Xiaodong, director of the Forestry Technology Extension Center of the Yuli County Forestry and Grassland Bureau, said that on-site sampling showed the overall survival rate of dogbane and saxaul exceeded 85 percent. The project is part of Yuli County's effort in the battle to defend the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, and plays an important role in changing the ecological environment of the Tarim River, protecting the Yuli–Qiemo Desert Highway and tens of thousands of mu of nearby farmland and grassland.

　　On November 13, 2023, the autonomous region held an on-site meeting in Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, to advance the battle to defend the Hexi Corridor–Taklimakan Desert edge, and made arrangements for locking the desert edge and fixing the sand. The battle covers 46 counties (cities and districts) in 7 prefectures and cities, with 7 key treatment projects and 13 sub-projects. Once completed, the string of "green collars" around the edge of the Taklimakan Desert will all close, and the ecological security barrier in northwest China will be built ever more solidly.

　　The sea of sand is surging with activity, and greenery is being planted everywhere. Over the past year, at project sites of the battle to defend the Taklimakan Desert edge, straw checkerboards, sand-fixing nets, sand barriers and drip irrigation lines have pushed into the sea of sand; newly planted desert plants link up like beads, showing patches of green; flood-diverted irrigation and naturally restored populus euphratica forests are lush with greenery, unfolding a magnificent new ecological picture along the desert edge.

　　Plugging the 285-kilometer gap

　　Measurements show that the perimeter around the Taklimakan Desert is 3,046 kilometers. Over the past 40-plus years, relying on the "Three-North" Shelterbelt Program, a 2,761-kilometer green sand-blocking shelterbelt has already formed around the Taklimakan Desert. The gap along the desert edge with no forest, grass or wetland is 285 kilometers long, mainly distributed in Qiemo County and Minfeng County on the southern and southeastern edges of the Taklimakan Desert.

　　Filling in the final 285 kilometers will form a huge green ecological barrier that "locks" the edge of the Taklimakan Desert.

　　In Yawatongguz Township, Minfeng County, the afforestation forest planted starting in 2012 is lush and blocks the desert. In the new afforestation area, bulldozers and excavators shuttle through the sea of sand, raising clouds of yellow dust as they level the dunes.

　　The afforestation construction is undertaken by China Railway Construction Development Group Minfeng Sand Control New Energy Co., Ltd. Yu Shuo, deputy general manager of the company, introduced that the total sand control area in this region reaches 130,000 mu. The dunes are first leveled, then populus euphratica and Russian olive are planted as shelterbelts; engineering-based sand control is carried out on the periphery, with sand barriers and straw checkerboards to fix the sand.

　　The east bank of the Qarqan River within Qiemo County is a key area for winning the battle to defend the Taklimakan Desert edge. This spring, Qiemo County planted 1.3 million saxaul and populus euphratica seedlings at the Hedong sand control base here, covering 5,000 mu. Under the careful management of forest rangers, the seedling survival rate is very high. Seen from afar, greenery is steadily advancing into the desert.

　　"We plan to complete comprehensive treatment of 815,700 mu of desertified land between 2024 and 2030, of which 369,700 mu is planned for treatment from 2024 to 2026. By then, a new oasis corridor will form along the east bank of the Qarqan River," said Kamili Jiang Tursun, deputy secretary of the Party group and director of the Qiemo County Forestry and Grassland Bureau.

　　The Hedong sand control base in Qiemo County was established in 1998. Over more than 20 years, an ecological corridor 1 to 7 kilometers wide from east to west and 23 kilometers long from north to south has been built, effectively preventing the desert from moving from east to west and eroding the Qiemo oasis.

　　From 1999 to 2020, over more than 20 years, the number of blowing-sand days in Qiemo County fell by 39 percent, precipitation rose by 17 percent, evaporation dropped by 0.7 percent, and relative humidity increased by 2 percent. Kamili Jiang said that today Qiemo sees snow in winter and rain in spring, summer and autumn, which is the most intuitive manifestation of ecological improvement. "We are full of confidence in winning the battle to defend the Taklimakan Desert edge."

　　Improved mechanisms boost "green" results

　　Walking into Xiao'erbage Village, Akqal Township, Hotan City, 52-year-old forest ranger Abdullah Bardi was busy watering the shelterbelt.

　　"I remember that when I was a child, sand often blew, and sometimes the wind and sand were so strong you couldn't even see the road when you went out. Now that hasn't happened for many years," Abdullah said. Villagers all know that good weather is related to planting good shelterbelts, and they are very active in planting trees every spring and autumn. "Loving greenery and protecting greenery" has become a conscious action for everyone.

　　Making the desert green is inseparable from the power of science and technology.

　　Topa'erike Village, Qira Township, Qira County, is the village closest to the desert in the county. More than 10 years ago, yellow sand approached the village, and young people in the village began planting trees to "contest territory" with the desert.

　　"If we can keep one tree alive, that counts as one; if it doesn't survive, we dig it out and plant again," said villager Nurmemet Obulkasim. Today, greenery fills the view outside his courtyard: jujube and walnut trees are laden with fruit, poplars stand straight, and in the distance calligonum and rose willow hold back the yellow sand.

　　Topa'erike Village's "greenery advancing and sand retreating" would not have been possible without help from the Qira Desert Research Station of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Over the years, the station has provided scientific and technological support for local residents' efforts to "drive back the sand" through research on desert vegetation characteristics and environmental adaptability, and on optimizing shelterbelt systems around oases. Today, Qira has formed a unique windbreak and sand control system: canals and river embankments intercept shifting sand at the very front; low shrubs and grasses follow close behind to fix sand in place; artificial shrub forests and narrow, multi-belt windbreak forests provide double interception of wind and sand; and economic forest and fruit belts regulate the climate, help farmers increase income, and strengthen farmers' internal motivation for sand control.

　　Guided by policies and projects, involving social capital and various enterprises in sand control is another magic weapon for winning the battle to defend the Taklimakan Desert edge.

　　At the desert edge of Gaizikum Township, Shaya County, a blue "photovoltaic ocean" attracts attention. This is the base of PowerChina's 250,000-kilowatt photovoltaic industrial park low-carbon transformation new energy project in Shaya County.

　　Photovoltaic sand control is one of the typical experience models for sand prevention and control that Xinjiang has explored and summarized over many years. "The core idea of photovoltaic sand control is that photovoltaic panels can not only serve as power generation equipment, but after being laid they can also effectively reduce surface wind speed and wind erosion, thereby stabilizing sand and preventing dune movement. In addition, the shading effect of photovoltaic panels can reduce evaporation of surface water, which is conducive to the growth of desert vegetation and further improves the ecological environment," said Du Siwei, project manager of PowerChina (Shaya) New Energy Power Generation Co., Ltd.

　　Green industries rise in the sea of sand

　　Treat a stretch of desert, enrich a group of people.

　　In July this year, the autonomous region formulated the Overall Plan for the Battle to Defend the Edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang, proposing key areas, key work and key goals for the battle from 2024 to 2030, and planning and implementing 12 benchmark projects around photovoltaic sand control, biological sand control and characteristic sand industries. Among them, the characteristic sand industry benchmark projects include building four million-mu characteristic sand industry benchmark projects in Shaya County, Yutian County, Yuli County and Qiemo County, as well as one Gobi facility agriculture sand control benchmark project in Hotan County.

　　Yutian County is one of the areas most severely harmed by wind and sand in China. With the deepening of sand prevention and control, the cistanche and rose industries born in the sea of sand have begun to rise.

　　Cistanche is a perennial herb parasitic on the roots of rose willow and saxaul. It has high medicinal value and is known as "desert ginseng."

　　"I started planting cistanche in 2009. Now the area planted with rose willow and saxaul is getting larger and larger, and the scale of my cistanche planting is also getting larger and larger," said Eziz Metroz, a villager in Tawuhaz Village, Oytograk Township, Yutian County. He started with only 8 mu, and now it has grown to 950 mu, and he has also set up a cooperative.

　　More than 30 percent of households in Tawuhaz Village grow rose willow cistanche. The village committee also planted 150 mu this year to develop the collective economy.

　　To help and lead farmers in planting cistanche and roses, Yutian County has introduced a number of leading enterprises and adopted a development model of "enterprise + base + cooperative + farmers" to extend, supplement and strengthen the cistanche and rose industry chains. Today, Yutian County's annual cistanche output reaches 40,000 tons, accounting for 85 percent of national output. In Yutian County, there are already more than 40 cooperatives related to cistanche and roses, driving employment for more than 10,000 people and achieving integrated development of the sand industry and ecological construction.

　　To make the desert "generate gold," Yuli County has adopted measures suited to local conditions and actively developed the dogbane industry.

　　Walking into the Tuoboxie dogbane sand prevention and control demonstration area in the desert hinterland of Dunkuatan Township, Yuli County, dogbane seedlings planted since March this year are showing new green and swaying in the wind.

　　This demonstration area is one of the key areas for Yuli County in the battle to defend the Taklimakan Desert edge, with a total area of 3,000 mu.

　　Dogbane is a desert plant. Its leaves can be made into tea, its flowers can be used to brew honey, its stalk fiber can be used for textiles, and its roots and stems can be used to extract health-care and medicinal substances. It has high economic value.

　　Yuli County has 1.6 million mu of wild dogbane. Since 2021, in line with sand prevention and control requirements, Yuli County has concentrated efforts on developing the dogbane industry, planning multiple industries ranging from artificial planting to textiles, health care and medicinal use, board and home furnishing, and tourism development, attracting more than 10 enterprises to invest or discuss cooperation.

　　Desert farming of "seafood," special tourism, trial planting of wheat, promotion of seawater rice... industry after industry has grown from nothing and from small to large. Along the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, the sand industry has become a remarkable and eye-catching landscape.

　　- Reporter's notebook

　　Three unforgettable rains in the desert

　　On August 13, the reporter went to the Tuoboxie dogbane sand prevention and control demonstration area in Yuli County for an interview. This demonstration area is located within Dunkuatan Township, far from the Yuli County seat and close to the desert hinterland.

　　We set out early in the morning and unexpectedly encountered a heavy rain.

　　The rain began to fall when the reporter passed through Tatelike Village, Dunkuatan Township, at about 11:30. Bean-sized raindrops pattered against the car windows, rapid and dense. Children in the village ran cheering in the rain. It was truly a "welcome rain."

　　As the car turned into the desert, the raindrops gradually became smaller, but they kept falling intermittently and never stopped. After arriving at the dogbane management and protection station in the Tuoboxie dogbane sand prevention and control demonstration area, scattered raindrops were still drifting down.

　　This was the third rain the reporter had encountered in the desert in the past two or three years. In fact, during this period the reporter entered the desert fewer than 10 times. Calculated that way, the probability of encountering rain is still quite high.

　　The first rain occurred in 2021 on the desert highway from Yuli to Qiemo. That was March 19 of that year; the rain appeared at 15:44 at K042 of the desert highway in the direction from Yuli to Qiemo, at the desert edge. When it first began, the rainfall was relatively heavy and quickly wet the car's front windshield. About 5 kilometers on toward Yuli, the rainfall gradually decreased. The reporter observed at the time that the obvious rainfall process lasted about 3 minutes, and scattered rain continued until 16:22.

　　The second rain was in the Bijiashan area near Lop Nur, on a day during the 2023 National Day holiday. The reporter followed a scientific expedition team from Hami across the desert from Hami Dahaidou and camped here. At around 4 a.m. that day, the reporter was awakened in the tent by the rapid tapping of raindrops. The heavy rain lasted about 1 hour.

　　The Bijiashan area is truly deep in the desert, and it was truly surprising that such heavy rain could fall there.

　　Compared with previous years, rain in the Taklimakan Desert is now no longer so rare, because there is more rain. In late August, some tourists even uploaded videos of encountering floods in the Taklimakan Desert.

　　Why is there more rain? The reporter believes that, in addition to the factor of a warming and humidifying trend in the climate of northwest China, it is also related to more and more "greenery" along the desert edge. For decades, Xinjiang's "Three-North" Shelterbelt Program has proceeded phase after phase, weaving a green "scarf" along the Taklimakan Desert. Greenery advancing and sand retreating, harmony between people and sand, and continuous improvement of the ecological environment — this is one of the key reasons for the "welcome rain" from the sky.

　　Today, the battle to defend the Hexi Corridor–Taklimakan Desert edge has fully begun, and an even more solid green ecological barrier will be built in northwest China. It can be foreseen that the deserts and Gobi of the future will welcome even more "welcome rain."