Restored river sees local towns flourish

Over two decades, Li Wanhui of the Xinjiang local government, has watched as a downstream stretch of the mighty Tarim River turned from a natural local oasis to a dry riverbed and then, ultimately, transformed into a stunning lake.

This transformation has had a huge impact on local towns, such as nearby Xinir, Li's childhood home. The restoration of the river to its former glory has seen Xinir as one of the many towns to have its own lifeblood restored after years of decline.

This renaissance in the region is the result of an 8-year management project aimed at repairing decades of damage to the Tarim River. The project, which was completed at the end of 2008, involved some 456 separate initiatives, including a 600 km dam and 42 ecological brakes.