Urbanites in thrall to a growing passion

Wang is not the only person working hard to master soil rejuvenation.

In Alshaa League, a semi-arid region in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in North China, Ma Yanwei has spent years reinvigorating saline soil by applying water-saving methods to cultivate fruit and crops suitable for local conditions.

Sweet melons are the best-selling produce from Ma's farm. Their sweet taste is the result of many years of study, experimentation and hard work in the desert.

Ma aims to find an ideal organic farming method to maximize the use of the scarce water resources and repair the soil.

"As long as the soil improves, it is natural to harvest healthy produce," he said.

In the past six years, he has seen a growing number of young people returning to the countryside to take up farming. In 2017, he established a network that allows new farmers to communicate, exchange experiences and help each other. "It means we will be able to avoid longer detours and the mistakes made by others," he said.