Xinjiang's Kekeya becomes green miracle in China's largest desert

Decades of persistent efforts against desertification in and around Kekeya have paid off, generating economic and ecological benefits for this once-arid land in Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Nestled on the northern edge of the formidable Taklimakan Desert, Kekeya was once notorious for its tumultuous weather and ceaseless sandstorms. Covering a staggering expanse of 337,000 square kilometers, the Taklimakan is China's largest desert and is infamously known as the "Sea of Death."

To combat desertification and alleviate the adverse effects of shifting sands and dust storms on nearby residents, an ambitious afforestation project was launched in Kekeya in 1986. Consequently, what is now known as the "Green Great Wall" has gradually emerged.

Faced with water shortages, high soil salinity, and a lack of heavy machinery, the pioneers who first engaged in the project in Aksu rose to the challenge. They toiled with simple tools to soften the hardened soil, level the ground, and adjust soil alkalinity to create a suitable environment for the growth of trees.

One year later, the barren land of Kekeya showed its first signs of greenery. Local people saw hope for better living conditions, free from sand finding its way into their rice bowls.

"We were planting trees almost every spring and autumn then. Since our shelter-belt forest was planted, it has blocked the wind and sand from afar and helped keep our homes clean," said Song Jianjiang, one of the first forest rangers involved in the afforestation project.

In the first decade of the project, Kekeya saw about 2,200 hectares of artificial forest completed, with another 4,360 hectares established in the second decade.

Since 2012, Kekeya has achieved 62,000 hectares of afforestation.

Zhao Hongguang, a local apple grower, remarked on the stark difference in growing conditions compared to 30 years ago.

"Back then, I planted over 2.6 hectares of land, but only 280 pear and apple trees survived. Now, one mu (one-fifteenth of a hectare) of land can produce 3 to 4 tonnes of apples. Four tonnes of apples can sell for over 20,000 yuan (about $2,850). Most of my apples are sold to the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta regions," he said.

Residents Su Hui and his wife, Lu Fang, are both photography hobbyists. As the ecological environment improves, more birds and wildlife are captured in their lenses.

"In recent years, as the ecological environment improves, some bird species that we had never seen before have appeared in Aksu, such as kingfishers, great rosefinches and bluethroats. These birds were never seen in Aksu before, but now they can be spotted here," said Su.

After relentless efforts spanning generations, the afforestation project in Kekeya has achieved over 80,000 hectares of afforestation. Kekeya's forest coverage rate rose from 8 percent in 1986 to 73 percent in 2020. Today, green spaces and pocket parks are spreading throughout Aksu's urban areas.

"We have built the shelterbelt forest in Kekeya, and it has brought hope to everyone here," said Song.

(Cover is a still.)