The Surging Oasis

In the 1980s, Aksu City, on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, was plagued by sandstorms. The Gobi wasteland of Kekeya, just five kilometers from the city, was where the sandstorms originated. To protect their homes and bring prosperity to future generations, people of all ethnic groups in Aksu launched the Kekeya Desert Greening Project despite having no dedicated funding, heavy equipment, or models to follow. Forestry expert Lin Shenghua answered the call and led his family, including Lin Jianxin, Huang Yulan, Li Jiabao, and Lin Qingya, into the project. Three generations passed down the dream of "greening the desert and protecting our home." They were not only witnesses to their era, but participants in it. Over more than thirty years, millions of people took part in the Kekeya Desert Greening Project, forging the renowned "Kekeya Spirit." Today, this man-made forest belt, stretching across more than a million mu, surges like a tide of green, holding back the yellow sands and nourishing the Aksu oasis. From the Gobi Desert to forests and orchards, from fighting for survival to pursuing a thriving ecosystem, this is Aksu's answer to the theory that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.