HERDERS WELCOME CHANGES IN XINJIANG'S 'VALLEY OF LIFE'

New roads, solar panels and motorcycles are improving living conditions in the remote Akyaz area

As the first rays of sunshine climbed over the snowy mountains on the Akyaz Valley, Nurkaldi Tursunali drove his 60 sheep to the pasture before going back to his log cabin to drink milk tea by a burning stove. It was a typical start to the herdsman's day.

Winters are harsh in the valley, and Nurkaldi's family and his flock do their best to avoid the bitter cold. About 130 kilometers from the nearest town, Akyaz is an important winter grazing place for herders in Zhaosu county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.