A Thousand Autumns Sow Me a Single Grain of Green

Where else can you find farmland like this? Emerald-green rice and golden-yellow desert form a sharply defined sea of two colors.

Salt- and drought-resistant rice has defied the conventional image of rice paddies soaking in lush, water-rich fields. Instead, it spreads its enticing fragrance through the arid, barren desert. Agricultural development in Xinjiang is about more than just making sure locals have enough to eat. The goal is to expand the grain industry nationwide, so the people of Xinjiang can also escape poverty and prosper through agriculture.

Look at the lush leaves and full ears of grain. The scent of rice blossoms promises a bountiful harvest. The day when people can find shade beneath rice plants in the desert is truly drawing near.