A matter of fine taste - and possibly more employment

On a recent visit to the Ningxia Hui autonomous region for a report on environmental migrants, I also got a glimpse of its talked-about wine industry, which I suspect can absorb more people, especially as China is fast approaching its self-stated deadline of ending absolute poverty.

About 2 percent of Ningxia's population of some 6 million still live in poverty. The region's poverty incidence rate per family has continued to fall since 2010, according to official data, but it remains higher than the national rural average.

Five among Ningxia's 21 counties are badly affected by water scarcity.