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)