From barren to beautiful: Minning Town's green rise in Ningxia

In recent years, Minning Town in Yinchuan City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has actively practiced the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." By leveraging east-west cooperation and promoting green, eco-friendly industries, the once barren "dry desert" has been transformed into a vibrant "golden oasis," showcasing a remarkable model of poverty alleviation through ecological restoration and sustainable development.

Named after the partnership between Fujian Province and Ningxia, Minning Town has undergone a profound transformation over the past decades. What began as a small relocation village with just over 8,000 residents has now grown into a thriving town with a population of tens of thousands. The per capita annual income has risen from less than 500 yuan ($70) to more than 19,000 yuan ($2,676), with pillar industries ranging from specialty farming and livestock breeding to photovoltaic power generation, logistics, and cultural tourism.

In Yuanyi Village, rows of modern agricultural greenhouses stretch across the landscape, blending harmoniously with eco-migrant villages to form a picturesque rural scene. The village has constructed more than 200 greenhouses and established a high-standard fruit and vegetable demonstration base under a "government + enterprise + farmer" development model. This integrated system, which combines production with agritourism, has boosted both agricultural efficiency and farmers' incomes while advancing local rural revitalization.

According to the 2024 Minning Town Government Work Report, the town has optimized its crop structure and promoted open-field vegetable cultivation focusing on high-value crops such as white radishes, green onions, celery, and tomatoes. This initiative has generated an annual output value of 40 million yuan ($5.6 million) and created 5,000 jobs. In 2024, the total area planted with fruit and vegetables extended to around 335 hectares, yielding 16,500 tons. The local wine grape industry produced a crop of 648 tons, nurturing 20 leading grape growers and creating nearly 110,000 job opportunities across the entire industry chain.

At the same town, Minning Town has also been leveraging the natural and cultural resources of the Helan Mountains foothills to develop a flourishing wine culture and tourism industry. In 2024, the combined output value of the town's wine sector reached 2.96 billion yuan ($417 million), with 480,000 tourist visits recorded throughout the year. This thriving "Minning Model" not only exemplifies the success of east-west collaboration, but also stands as a clear example of how ecological restoration can drive prosperity.