Planting Roses in China's Desert: Romance and Beyond

BEIJING, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on China's cause of environmental protection:

Recently, flowers have begun to bloom in China's Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "Sea of Death".

In full bloom were the 100,000 rose saplings planted last November in the final stretch of the Taklimakan "enclosure" project. Though delicate in appearance and swaying in the fierce desert winds, the roses turned out to be a highly drought-tolerant and adaptive variety. They were bred and grafted for these extreme conditions, deeply anchoring their roots beneath the sands and helping to stabilize and bind the shifting soil.

A 3,046-kilometer "green scarf" now encircles the shifting sea of sand, while the rose blossoms have added a touch of romance to it.

Comparing satellite images from 2014 and 2024, the difference is striking: growing expanses of greenery are now lighting up the once dull yellow desert. By the end of 2024, more than 17.25 million mu (1.15 million hectares) of man-made forest have been added in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, consisting of 2 billion trees planted by hand. If the trees were planted at one-meter intervals, they could encircle the earth nearly 50 times. Statistics also show that China has effectively rehabilitated 53% of its reclaimable desertified land.

The success of China's desertification governance is not only evident in the greening of the sands and the reduction of sand storms; it is also benefiting local livelihoods. For example, in Yutian County, where desert roses are widely planted, a diversified and integrated industry has materialized: More than 30 types of rose-based products, including rose hydrosol, rose tea, and rose-infused cosmetics enjoy a vast domestic market; the industry has created a wealth of jobs, while local tourism is also thriving — after all, blooming roses in a desert is a must-see wonder for tourists.

By virtue of the unique desert climate, green energy is now being steadily generated. The process begins with straw checkerboard grids being laid to "contain" the shifting sands. Then, photovoltaic panels are installed in precise angles, forming upright "sand barriers" that also allow them to generate clean energy while shading the plants growing beneath. The water used to clean the panel components is also repurposed for irrigation to sustain patches of greenery. Such model of "clean power generation above and sand stabilization underneath" has been commended by the UNEP as "an innovative solution".

Today, China's philosophy and practices in ecological protection are profoundly influencing the rest of the world. In the recent two decades, China contributed more than a quarter of the world's new afforestation area, ranking first globally. China also leads the world in plastic waste recycling. Under the South-South cooperation framework, China has actively supported biodiversity protection efforts in developing nations, bringing positive changes to more than 80 countries…

A sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilization. As we mark the 54th World Environment Day today, the planet continues to be jeopardized by multiple environmental crises, and the road to protection remains long and challenging. We hope more and more people will join the cause of environmental protection, and commit to doing their bit to build harmony between humanity and nature.

China Mosaic 
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
Planting Roses in China's Desert: Romance and Beyond
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2025-06/05/content_117912475.shtml