From yellow to green: How the Mu-Us Desert in China turned into an oasis
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The Mu-Us Desert, which name means bad water in Mongolian, is located in China between the Yulin district of Shaanxi province and the Ordos city district.
Formerly, endless sands dominated here, the soil was depleted, and vegetation covered the territory only by 1.8%. The district in the desert area was constantly exposed to strong dust storms that carried away the soil along with the crop.
In order to change these uninhabitable conditions, for more than 60 years, local authorities and the population of the region have been greening the desert with 70 thousand hectares of forest plantations. Mostly Mongolian pine was planted. As the result of painstaking work, the movement of dunes was stopped and brought under the control at the beginning of 2020.
Now the area of the desert greening has exceeded 93%. The spread of forest protection plantations over a large area significantly improved the environmental situation in Yulin County and led to an inrush of tourists to the famous walled town built near the Great Wall of China.
Just in forty years, the city with its endless sands has become a “green pearl at the Great Wall of China” as a result of purposeful efforts to create a system of nature protection. Now, green trees have been carefully planted, fields are cultivated on several levels, parks and gardens are blooming in the city.
According to the city authorities’ plan, it will be revealed a majestic multi-level environmental construction till 2025 around “three belts and two zones” (a zone of ecological economy, greening landscape belt, a zone for the protection of nature, development zone for fruit production and area for the cultivation of shrubs).
Currently, on the South-Western outskirts of the Mu-Us Desert, travelers can also admire the Baijitan State National Reserve, representing a green oasis with groves, reservoirs and blooming fields of lavender.
A hotel and resort of Xiangshawan with the Desert Lotus Hotel are built near the city of Ordos. This “Green Wall of China” separates the desert from regions, irrigated by water from the Yellow River.
Roman TEPLYAKOV
From yellow to green: How the Mu-Us Desert in China turned into an oasis
Now the area of the desert greening has exceeded 93%. The spread of forest protection plantations over a large area significantly improved the environmental situation in Yulin County and led to an inrush of tourists to the famous walled town built near the Great Wall of China.
Just in forty years, the city with its endless sands has become a “green pearl at the Great Wall of China” as a result of purposeful efforts to create a system of nature protection. Now, green trees have been carefully planted, fields are cultivated on several levels, parks and gardens are blooming in the city.
According to the city authorities’ plan, it will be revealed a majestic multi-level environmental construction till 2025 around “three belts and two zones” (a zone of ecological economy, greening landscape belt, a zone for the protection of nature, development zone for fruit production and area for the cultivation of shrubs).
Currently, on the South-Western outskirts of the Mu-Us Desert, travelers can also admire the Baijitan State National Reserve, representing a green oasis with groves, reservoirs and blooming fields of lavender.
A hotel and resort of Xiangshawan with the Desert Lotus Hotel are built near the city of Ordos. This “Green Wall of China” separates the desert from regions, irrigated by water from the Yellow River.
