In the oases of the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China, gathering the harvest has become the new normal for local families. From nurturing saplings and roses that hold back the sand to growing jujubes, scutellaria and cumin, and using peach tree grafts to produce plums, people here have shifted from simply "containing the desert" to "utilizing the desert". The sand is no longer a devouring threat, but fertile ground for generating wealth.