"As a child, I dreamed of leaving Makit and getting away from the Taklimakan Desert," said Reyhan Ahat, who was born in 2001 in Makit County, Kashi Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. She can still recall the springs in her childhood: dusty yellow landscapes with barely any green, sand coating everything indoors and out, and that ever-present gritty taste in her mouth.

After college, Reyhan worked in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. But when she returned to Makit in February 2024, the transformation she witnessed convinced her to stay. "Now I see we can actually manage, develop and benefit from the Taklimakan," she said.

Desert control initiative

The county has made remarkable progress in its desert control initiative, which covers over one million-mu (one mu equals about 0.067 hectares). Makit County is surrounded by the Taklimakan Desert on three sides, with desert covering about 90 percent of the county's area. Today, a green corridor stretches for kilometers along roads leading into the desert, which is part of the sand-blocking green belt stretching 3,046 kilometers encircling the Taklimakan.

Since 2012, the entire county has mobilized for this ecological campaign, logging over three million volunteer work shifts to plant 260 million drought-resistant trees across 117.6 million mu (about 78,400 hectares). The species include yellowhorn, euphrates poplar, Russian olive, red willow and sacsaoul.

"The Taklimakan isn't the desert I knew as a child anymore," Reyhan said.

"Travelers are increasingly drawn to our desert for immersive experiences," explained Wang Jiangpeng, deputy director of Cultural, Sports, Broadcasting, and Tourism Bureau of Makit County. Infrastructure upgrades have significantly boosted both the appeal and capacity of desert tourism in the region. "Last year we received 400,000 tourists, and this year we expect to receive 500,000. Desert tourism is becoming an important industry driving the county's economic growth," said Wang Jiangpeng.

Seeing the changes in the Taklimakan Desert and hearing the good news about the county's desert tourism development, Reyhan Ahat was inspired. She stayed in her hometown and joined a tourism development company, responsible for leading tourists to experience desert tours in the Taklimakan.

Developing cultural tourism, various experience programs are offered deep in the desert

"In the past, tourists also came to Makit, but at that time we had almost no tourism facilities. Visitors could only look at the edge of the desert, take a few photos and leave," said Wang Jiangpeng. "With support from various parties, tourist reception centers and distribution centers in the desert scenic area have been built and put into use. The prospects for cultural tourism industry development are broad."

"Building a road into the desert was crucial," said Reyhan Ahat. The edge of the desert is covered with scattered desert poplar forests, not dense but widely distributed. To avoid damaging the poplar forests, repeated surveys were conducted before road construction. Eventually, a winding snake-like road was built, connecting the campsite to the scenic area entrance.

The completed road paved the way for multiple developments. Beyond the visitor center, the area now offers desert adventures including dune surfing and off-road tours, complemented by two observation decks, a 50,000-square-meter parking facility, and overnight accommodations deep in the desert.

This tourism zone neighbors two protected areas: the Millennial Euphrates Poplar Forest and Tangwang Lake National Wetland Park.

"Tourism development must not harm the desert ecosystem. We implemented supporting measures from the beginning," said Reyhan Ahat. While providing water, electricity and internet access, sewage treatment and waste disposal stations were built near the campsites to ensure no garbage or wastewater remains in the desert.

Picking up a handful of fine sand and sprinkling it on her pants, then shaking them a few times made them clean again. "The sand here is very clean, and we must protect it," Reyhan said.

Boosting incomes while exploring ways to combine desert control with prosperity

Having grown up by the desert, Reyhan never imagined it could become so lively.

During peak season, most tourists arrive in the evening. After experiencing activities like desert off-roading, they go to the camps to enjoy local dances and try making naan bread. After dinner, they can look up at a sky full of stars. Early next morning, the tourists rise to watch the sunrise over the desert dunes.

During the off-season, the campsite is never lonely. The euphrates poplars in the yellow sand grow tender green branches, and Reyhan has "hosted" adorable jerboas and fluffy little foxes. Once, a colleague excitedly told her they had seen Mongolian gazelles near the campsite.

"Desert tourism is a gold mine. As China's largest desert, the Taklimakan will welcome more and more visitors through implementing 'desert control + industry + employment + tourism'," introduced Wang Faqiang, deputy secretary of Makit County’s Party committee.

"For Makit, while desert tourism provides jobs and increases people's income, it also offers a feasible solution for the Taklimakan Desert edge stabilization project, just like the million-mu windbreak and sand-fixation forest. By managing, protecting and developing the desert, we have found a development path that combines desert control with prosperity," said Wang Faqiang.

"Now I realize that this endless desert is fertile ground for us to start businesses and pursue careers," Reyhan Ahat said.

(Source: People’s Daily, Reporter Jiang Yunlong)