Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Rayda) news: "Laofengkou wind pass is known for its strong winds. Will the drone even be able to fly?" On May 22, 2025, a media tour themed on aerial photography of Xinjiang set out from Toli County, heading 40 kilometers northwest along Highway G335. When they reached the Laofengkou wind pass area, the team was still unsure what to expect.

But as they stepped out of the vehicle, they were met not with blowing sand and tumbling rocks, but with a serene forest belt of poplars, elms, and Russian olives swaying in the wind, their leaves whispering in the breeze. Launching the drone, they watched as it climbed to 100 meters, unveiling a breathtaking sight below: a 28-kilometer-long windbreak forest running north to south like a winding green fortress, with farmland and irrigation channels weaving between the tree lines. The once-desolate wasteland, infamous for its "wind-blown stones," had now become a thriving oasis.

Photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows an aerial view of the Laofengkou wind pass ecological zone in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Jin Wei)

Few would believe this lush oasis was once the notorious "Death Wind Pass." Situated between Toli and Emin counties in Tacheng Prefecture, Laofengkou wind pass forms a crucial corridor along G335, linking Tacheng with the Junggar Basin. The area's distinct geography creates a natural funnel, an 80-km-wide east-west passage narrowing to just 20 km north-south. Combined with Siberian winds and the "narrow pipe effect," this results in relentless easterly gales throughout the year.

Weather data shows that between the 1980s to the 1990s, the pass endured over 15 days of easterly storms monthly from August through April. Winter brought violent snowstorms, with winds clocked at 34-40 m/s, which is strong enough to rank among the world's most extreme wind and snowdrift conditions. The area typically experienced over 150 days of over force eight winds annually, sometimes reaching 153 days.

"My family always said to take extra care crossing Laofengkou wind pass," recalled Anwar Akhmat, an trucker from Emin County. "Winter road closures meant complete isolation." The tranquil landscape today bears no resemblance to the treacherous "Death Wind Pass" of old.

This transformation started a quarter-century ago.

In 2000, Tacheng Prefecture initiated the Laofengkou Wind Pass Ecological Restoration Project. The first two phases addressed 48,300 mu (about 3,220 hectares) of land, with Toli County leading the 16,000-mu (about 1,067 hectares) core zone development.

"Wind management encounters enormous challenge," explained Wang Fengsong, deputy director of Toli County Natural Resources Bureau. Workers battled solid bedrock and gravel fields, using steel pry bars and pickaxes just to dig planting holes. They constructed wells and irrigation ditches to sustain the trees. "Our innovations like 'deep-root planting' and 'fall pre-planting' techniques, combined with drought-tolerant mixed species, boosted sapling survival from under 30 percent to above 85 percent." The ecological zone now contains nearly 20 million trees arranged in an advanced "multi-layered, cellular-grid" windbreak system.

According to Toli County meteorological data: In 2010, Laofengkou wind pass recorded an instantaneous peak wind speed of 39 m/s, with 153 days of gale-force winds. By 2024, the peak wind speed dropped to 33.3 m/s, with only 124 days of gale-force winds. Precipitation increased by an average of 20 percent compared to pre-treatment levels, and the local microclimate has significantly improved.

"Road closures at Laofengkou wind pass have become rare these days," Wang Fengsong said with pride.

The significant ecological and social improvements have now brought economic returns. To combat early forest degradation, Toli County launched a rehabilitation program, replacing removed trees with white ash, sea buckthorn, and mountain peach. "We use white ash for landscaping, process sea buckthorn into drinks, extract oil from mountain peach pits, while raising guinea fowl and cultivating medicinal plants under the trees," Wang explained, gesturing to xanthoceras saplings planted in early May. "This year's saplings have superior quality and economic potential. Moving forward, we'll carefully replace aging trees without compromising the ecosystem's stability, creating mutual benefits for both environment and economy."

The transformation from a notorious "Death Wind Pass" terrorized by vicious winds to today's thriving "green gold" oasis represents 25 years of building an extensive ecological network. Laofengkou wind pass now demonstrates a modern model harmonizing ecological preservation, social welfare and economic growth.

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