Green miracle in China's largest desert
Nestled at the northern edge of Taklimakan Desert, the "Sea of Death," Kekeya in China's Xinjiang was once notorious for its tumultuous weather and ceaseless sandstorms.
For over three decades, a green transformation in Kekeya has gradually borne fruit.
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For over three decades, a green transformation in Kekeya has gradually borne fruit.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Covering a staggering expanse of 337,000 square kilometers, an area slightly smaller than Germany,
00:09 Taklimakan is China's largest desert and infamously known as the "Sea of Death".
00:16 Kekoya is nestled at the northern edge of Taklimakan Desert.
00:20 Due to its adverse geological location,
00:23 Kekoya was once notorious for its tumultuous weather and ceaseless sandstorms.
00:30 When the wind blew, the whole Akes city was covered with yellow dust.
00:39 The sky seemed to turn black.
00:42 I thought that during the period of Akes' work,
00:48 the people would live a better life if they could build Akes with their own hands.
00:54 In 1986, a team of over 250 people completed the task of constructing a 16.8-kilometer anti-seepage ditch in Kekoya
01:05 in mere four months to ensure a steady water supply for irrigation.
01:10 Trees were then planted and carefully protected.
01:13 The trees were planted and carefully protected.
01:21 Thanks to the unceasing efforts of volunteers and forest rangers,
01:26 about 80,000 hectares of forests were planted from 1986 to 2020 as part of the project.
01:34 The dusty days in Akesu city, the major city next to Kekoya,
01:38 decreased sharply from about 100 days in 1980 to some 30 days in 2022.
01:46 The trees have grown stronger. I like summer and autumn the most.
01:53 When I see the trees in the summer, I think about the hardships we had to endure in the summer.
02:02 In autumn, I feel most comfortable and proud when I see the trees in the autumn.
02:11 Nowadays, over 86% of the trees in Kekoya's Seforestation Project yield economic benefits.
02:19 In Akesu Prefecture, the total area devoted to food crops reached 300,000 hectares in 2022.
02:27 The farmers' average income from food surpassed 5,500 yuan in 2022,
02:34 constituting 26.25% of their annual earnings.
02:39 The sweet and juicy Akesu apple has now become a signature agricultural product of Xinjiang.
02:46 (Music)
02:49 (Music)