ThisaerialphototakenonMay17,2023showsaviewoftheYotkanculturalscenicspotinHotanCounty,northwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.(Xinhua/ZhaoChenjie)

URUMQI,June17(Xinhua)--Onceknownasthe"seaofdeath,"theTaklimakanDesert,theworld"ssecond-largestshiftingsanddesert,hasbecomeadrivingforceforgreendevelopmentinnorthwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.

Inrecentyears,photovoltaic(PV)stationshavebeenconstructed,andlargeplantationsofvegetationsuchasrosesandcistanchehaveemergedontheoutskirtsofthisvastdesert,equivalentinsizetoMalaysia.

(资料图)

Thistransformationhasnotonlyattractedtourismbutalsopositionedthedesertasaflourishingcenterofsustainabledevelopment.

GREENINITIATIVESINTHEDESERT

Underthesun"srays,rowsofPVpanelsthatgenerateelectricityresembleashimmeringblueocean.

TianJuxiong,headofapowerstationinLopCounty,HotanPrefecture,regularlyinspectsthesepowergenerationsystemsandmonitorstheirdailyoperationsonthecontrolcenter"sscreen.

"ThesouthernpartoftheTaklimakanDesertbenefitsfromlowprecipitationandamplesunshine,resultinginupto1,600hoursofelectricitygenerationeachyear,"Tiansaid.

OperatedbytheStatePowerInvestmentCorporation,thisstationboastsatotalinstalledcapacityof200megawatts,producing360millionkWhofelectricityannually.

Thestationcanmeettheresidentialelectricityneedsofthe25.9millionresidentsofXinjiangforaround10days.Everyyear,itsavesapproximately110,000tonnesofstandardcoalandreduces330,000tonnesofcarbondioxideand1,300tonnesofnitrogendioxide.

Theprojectisalsoequippedwithanenergystoragesystemwithacapacityof80,000kWh.

"Inrainyconditionswhenthestationcannotgenerateelectricity,thestoragefacilityactsasapowerbank,providingenergyforapproximatelytwohours,"Tiansaid.

AccordingtoYuZhongping,aresearcherwithStateGrid"sXinjiangbranch,mostPVandwindpowerstationsinsouthernXinjiangareequippedwithstoragesystemstoensureastablesupplyofrenewableenergy.

InKuqaCity,locatedonthenorthwesternedgeoftheTaklimakan,agreenhydrogenprojectissettocommenceoperations,withanexpectedproductioncapacityof20,000tonnesuponcompletion.

Solarpowerreplacesfossilfuelsingeneratinghydrogen,saidCaoJie,vicemanagerofSinopecTaheRefiningandChemicalCompany.

AccordingtoadocumentreleasedbytheNationalDevelopmentandReformCommission,Chinaaimstoacceleratetheconstructionoflarge-scalewindandsolarpowerbasesindesertregions,develophydropowerinfrastructure,andexploreandutilizebiomass,geothermal,andoceanenergyduringthe14thFive-YearPlanperiod(2021-2025).

ByMay,thetotalinstalledcapacityforrenewableenergyinsouthernXinjianghadsurpassed8,400megawatts,andanadditional8,259megawattsofnewenergyfacilitiesarecurrentlyunderconstruction,accordingtoDingBiwei,whoisresponsibleforgridconnectionofnewenergyatStateGrid"sXinjiangbranch.

"AspowergridsaregraduallybeinginterconnectedtoencircletheTarimBasin,theelectricitygeneratedfromnewenergysourcesnotonlyinjectsgreenvitalityintosouthernXinjiangbutalsocontributestoachievingcarbonpeakandcarbonneutrality,"Dingsaid.

BLOSSOMINGCASHCROPS,WINDBREAKS

ZorigulYakhupandmanyotherfarmersinOytograkTownship,YutianCounty,Hotan,findthemselvesimmersedinabustlingatmosphereastheydiligentlypluckrosesofvariousbreedsamidstthesprawling667-hectarebaseofYutianGuimiBio-technologyCo.,Ltd.

"EveryMay,whentherosesbloom,Icomeheretopickthem.Icanpick40or50kgaday,"saidZorigulYakhup.

Thesevibrantblossomsareharvestedthreetimesayear--inMay,June,andSeptember--inYutian,locatedonthesouthernedgeoftheTaklimakanDesert.Itisherthirdyearengaginginthisactivity,andsheearnedabout12,000yuan(about1,684U.S.dollars)duringthethree-monthpickingperiod.

InadditiontoworkingforGuimi,ZorigulYakhupalsoplantsrosesonherownfarmland,withhalfofthestrainsbeingDamaskroses,whicharesoldtomanufacturingenterprisesatapriceof20yuanperkg.

LiuZhiyong,vicegeneralmanagerofGuimi,saidthatsince2012,thecompanyhasinvestednearly100millionyuaninplantingrosesandcreatingwindbreaks.Thesewindbreaksconsistofredwillow,saxaul,andpoplartrees,whichservetoprotecttheflowers.

"Wearenolongerafraidofsandstormsasthewindbreaksstandtall,"hesaid,addingthatduringthefirstthreeyearsofthebusiness,sandstormsdestroyednearly40percentoftherosesduetotheinadequateheightofthewindbreaks.

Guimihasalsoimplementedover2,000kmofwater-savingdripirrigationbeltstonurtureitsplants.DespiteYutian"slocationonthedesertmargin,itsundergroundwaterresourcesareutilizedeffectively.Lastyear,theplantationbaseproducedover300tonnesofroses.

Around20kmawayfromthebase,Guimi"srosesareprocessedintosauces,hydrolates,andotherproductsinanindustrialpark.

LiusaidthatGuimihasestablishedanindustrialchainencompassingmass-scaleplanting,production,manufacturing,andsales,whichhelpsmorethan10,000nearbyfarmersincreasetheirincomeeachyear.

Yutianaccountsforapproximately93percentofthe3,453hectaresofroseplantationsinHotan,andtheyearlyincomefromrosesinthecountyis90,000yuanperhectare,accordingtotheprefecture"sagricultureandruralaffairsbureau.

Apartfromtheprofitablerosecultivation,thewindbreakingsaxaultreeservesbothecologicalandeconomicpurposes.Since1998,theplanthasbeengrownonalargescaleinthedesertcountyofQiemo,BayingolinMongolianAutonomousPrefecture,aspartofanafforestationprojecttopreventandcontroldesertification.

Around2003,cistanche,acropknownasthe"ginsengofthedesert,"wasintroducedtothecounty,parasitizingtherootsofthesaxaultree.MoreandmoreenterprisesstartedinvestinginthisplanttoproducetraditionalChineseherbalmedicine.

TheutilizationoftheTaklimakanDesertpromotesthedevelopmentofagriculture,manufacturing,andenvironmentalprotection.

Duringthe13thFive-YearPlanperiod(2016-2020),Xinjiangrestored1.89millionhectaresofdesertifiedland,effectivelycurbingthetrendoflanddesertification,accordingtotheregion"sforestryandgrasslandbureau.

"Roseshavenotonlyfilledourpocketswithcashbutalsoaddedsweetnesstoourlives,"saidZorigulYakhup.

NEWTOURISTATTRACTION

AlimIminskillfullymaneuversadesertmotorcycleinthepicturesquedesertspotofDawakun,locatedinKashgarPrefecture,offeringvisitorsanexhilaratingexperienceofridingfreelyonthesandyterrain.

"Inthepeakseason,Icantransportupto20peopleaday,earningamonthlysalaryofover4,000yuanthroughthisbusiness,"hesaid.

SituatedonthesouthwestedgeoftheTaklimakanDesert,Dawakunisrenownedforitsuniquelandscape,featuringalakeembeddedinthesand.AccordingtoYeMing,themanagerofDawakun,thescenicspothasrecentlyhostedmorethan5,000touristsadayonweekends.

JiangWanwen,vicesecretarygeneraloftheChinaAdventureAssociation,saidthatover400millionpeopleparticipateinoutdoorsportsinChina,andXinjiangboastsabundantresourcesforoutdoortravel.

Thisyear,XinjianglaunchedanexpressraillooplinefortourismaroundtheTaklimakanDesert.Typically,touristsvisitscenicspotsduringthedayandspendthenightonthetrain.

Asinglejourneylastsfor11days.Thereare18suchtripsexpectedforthisyear,witheachaccommodatingupto500tourists.Withmorethan1,200kmofhighwaysacrosstheTaklimakanDesert,travelersalsohavetheoptionofembarkingonaroadtrip.

Duringthisyear"sMayDayholiday,Xinjiangreceivedatotalof8.05milliontourists,representingaremarkableyear-on-yearincreaseof140.8percent.

Tourismrevenuereached6.03billionyuan,markingasubstantialgrowthof192.2percentcomparedtothepreviousyear,accordingtotheregion"scultureandtourismdepartment.

Apartfromoutdooradventures,theculturalandhistoricalsignificanceofthedesertisbeingunearthed.

NeararelicinHotanCounty,theYotkanculturalscenicspothasbeenestablished,featuringantiquearchitectureandofferingvariousactivitiessuchasperformingarts,culinaryexperiences,andexhibitionsofintangibleculturalheritage.

InsideYotkan,actorsdressedasancientbusinessmensinganddance,captivatingpassingtourists.SometravelersdontraditionalHanfugarmentsandeagerlyrequestphotoswiththeperformers.

MuZhenjieopenedacostumerentalstoreatYotkan,providingtouristswithtraditionalclothingfromdifferentethnicgroupsalongwithmakeupservices.

"Ihopetouristscandonourcostumesandexperienceasenseof"timetravel","hesaid.■

ThisphototakenonMay17,2023showsphotovoltaic(PV)panelsatapowerstationinLopCounty,HotanPrefecture,northwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.(Xinhua/DuGang)

TouristshavefunatadesertinMakitCounty,northwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,May26,2023.(Xinhua/HuHuhu)

ThisaerialphototakenonMay25,2023showsaviewofthedesertpoplar(populuseuphratica)forestontheedgeofTaklimakandesert,northwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.(Xinhua/HuHuhu)