China's first railway through desert marks 60th anniversary

YINCHUAN -- The aerial view of the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway through the desert represents mankind's efforts against the forces of nature: moving sand dunes tamed by vast stretches of man-made straw structures, a technique originating from Ningxia, now known around the world.

The Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, which began operating in 1958, is an artery linking northern China to northwestern regions. It starts from Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and stretches to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province. The 990 km-rail link passes through the Tengger Desert in the city of Zhongwei in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region six times.

The railway also runs through Shapotou, whose name means high-rise dunes. The region has 16 km of moving dunes, reaching up to 100 meters high.

"To ensure the successful operation of the railway, the desert needed to be tamed," said Zhang Zhishan, deputy director of Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

August 1st marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway.