HOUSE OF WORSHIP: The Nanguan Mosque, the largest one in Yinchuan, has a history of around 400 years. There are more than 3,700 mosques in Ningxia, on average one for 577 local Muslims (WANG PENG)

The beauty of the place lies in the amazing natural combination of sand dunes and lake water. Strolling along the lakeside at dusk, you can watch the sky change colors, as the moored boats nod gently over rippled waters. Green reed bundles cast their tremulous reflections on the blue waters, where gray herons vie for fish and attention. It is a true heaven for relaxation, with a light breeze drifting off the lake as the sun sets and the stars peek into view.

Ningxia draws greater admiration from the world for its miracle success in stabilizing the expanding desert. The experience of Shapotou, an oasis at the southeastern edge of the sprawling Tengger Desert is an example of transforming arid wilderness into a tourist attraction.

In 1958, a railway between Baotou, a city of the Inner Mongolia, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, began operation. Efforts were required to reduce sand encroachment on the rail track. In addition to planting trees as wind barriers, scientists and local residents put straws on sand dunes and interlinked them as a net to stabilize the surface. The checkerboard-structured straws remain intact for four to five years, allowing time for planted xerophytic shrubs to grow. This unique method turned out to be very effective.

"We have turned more than 200,000 hectares of harsh desert into green land in Shapotou in the past 50 years," said Wang Delin, Director of Ningxia Forestry Administration.

The forest coverage of the whole region was 11.4 percent by the end of 2009, up from 7.79 percent in 2000, said Wang.

Today visitors from all over the world come to enjoy what nature has offered, whether drifting down the roaring Yellow River on a sheepskin raft, or riding a camel in the Tengger Desert.

The resort is also good for those seeking a little adrenaline rush. Travelers can experience the excitement of sliding down from a 85-meter-high sand dune. Sliding in hot summer, you can hear a magic sound beneath the sand, like a resonant bell or large drum, muffled and deep.

Tourism has become a dynamic growth engine for the local economy, and Shapotou receives at least 4,000 visitors every day.

Ningxia Data

Longitude: 104°17' -107°39' E

Latitude: 35°14' - 39°23' N

Area: 66,400 square km

Population: 6.18 million (Hui People: 2.22 million)

Climate: Typical continental;semiarid in the south and central part and  arid in the north

(Source: Nx.gov.cn)