China News Service, Lanzhou, October 6 (Ma Aibin) During the National Day holiday, the equestrian show at the Suwu Desert Scenic Area in Minqin County, Wuwei, Gansu Province was full of performances. Programs such as "Leaping into the Sky", "Horseback on the Peak" and "Three Shadows Standing on Two Horses" were performed one after another. The riders whipped their horses and raced around barrels, and applause and cheers came one after another. Tourists raised their mobile phones one after another to freeze the wonderful moments of desert equestrianism.
“I heard that Minqin will launch the ‘Green Qilian Green Wuwei·Please come to Minqin to plant trees’ volunteer activity in mid-October, so I took advantage of the National Day holiday to check in.” Zhang Haimei, a tourist from Xi’an, said that the desert that used to be ravaged by wind and sand is now covered with green sand, with grass grids to fix the sand and Haloxylon ammodendron forests to seal the edges. The picture of ecological changes is shocking. She plans to share her experience with her relatives and friends, and invite more people to come to Minqin and participate in public welfare activities to control desertification and plant green trees.
During the National Day holiday, a wonderful equestrian show was staged at the Wuwei Suwu Desert Scenic Area in Minqin County, Wuwei, Gansu Province. Photo by Ma Aibin
The equestrian show is still lingering, and tourists have strolled into the sculpture group in the scenic area.
More than a hundred pieces of artistic masterpieces of different materials and styles stand scattered under the sky and between the sand and sea, contrasting with the blue sky and white clouds. "The cultural and sports performances and sculpture art are in harmony, making the cultural tourism experience of the scenic spot richer." Chen Bin, a tourist from Beijing, said, "What really touches me is the continuous struggle of Minqin people for more than 70 years."
Chen Bin said that this persistence was touching, and he decided to participate in the "Please come to Minqin to plant a tree" volunteer activity in mid-October to add a touch of new green to the land.
Minqin County is located in the northeastern part of the Hexi Corridor and the lower reaches of the Shiyang River Basin. It is surrounded on the east, west and north by the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert. It is a must-pass place for the ancient Silk Road. It has a long history and culture, rich scenery resources, superior agricultural conditions, and unique tourism resources. For more than 70 years, Minqin has persistently fought against the wind and sand, creating an ecological miracle of "Oasis in the Sea of Sand, Scenery Minqin".
Tourists check in at the "Wuwei·Suwu Desert Scenic Spot" to appreciate the unique desert cultural tourism scenery. Photo by Ma Aibin
In recent years, Minqin County has relied on "Internet + Desertification Control" and the new model of crowdfunding to control desertification, and combined with social forces such as China Greening Foundation and Ant Forest to build a three-dimensional public welfare desertification control system of "online initiating, offline participation, and full guarantee". The local government innovatively developed the "Minqin Tree Planting Bar" mini program to optimize the entire process of event registration and certificate application, transforming public welfare desertification control from "passive organization" to "active participation" of the masses, and promote the convenience, standardization and normalization of volunteer services.
From online "planting trees" to offline "attending appointments", the influence of the "Please come to Minqin to plant a tree" public welfare project continues to expand, and it was selected as an outstanding case in the construction of national network civilization in 2026. According to statistics, the project has attracted a total of 94,000 volunteers to devote themselves to desertification control, and the "traffic" of online public welfare is accelerating to the front line of desertification control.
How to turn online traffic into offline retention? Heart-warming policies are the key.
Minqin has launched special incentive measures. With proof of volunteer service, volunteers can enjoy preferential policies such as reduced admission to the Desert Sculpture International Creation Camp, half-price sightseeing buses, and free admission to the Star Reaching Town. At the same time, it has cooperated with hotels and specialty food streets in the jurisdiction to launch exclusive discounts for volunteers, set up cultural and tourism service stations in scenic spots, and deployed special buses to ensure travel, so as to improve the volunteer service experience in an all-round way.
Policies attract customers, and experience keeps people warm. Suwu Desert Scenic Area integrates special resources such as greening and desertification control, sculpture appreciation, and starry sky travel to create a "Tree Planting Base-Suwu Desert Scenic Area" high-quality one-day tour route, and develops professional desertification control popular science and research courses to make the desert journey both meaningful and warm.
"Plant a Haloxylon ammodendron in Minqin and encounter the desert sculptures and the bright starry sky. This journey is healing and valuable," said Wang Yulin, a volunteer from Sichuan.
Under the setting sun, the sculpture of "Wuwei·Suwu Desert Scenic Area" is bathed in the afterglow, with light and shadow reflecting each other. Photo by Song Xiaoqin
"Please come to Minqin and plant a tree" became popular, effectively activating the county's consumption vitality. The county's catering, accommodation, cultural tourism, e-commerce and other industries continue to heat up, and the occupancy rates of major guesthouses and hotels have increased significantly.
"From a single public welfare desertification control to a deep integration of ecology, cultural tourism and industry, Minqin has used 'please plant a tree in Minqin' as its characteristic link, and has embarked on a new path of mutual promotion between ecological protection and industrial development." Xu Ruihua, director of the Minqin County Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, said that this green invitation continues to attract tourists from all over the world to come to Minqin, understand Minqin, and love Minqin, allowing everyone to plant green in the sand sea and sow hope, and harvest healing and touching in the bright starry sky. (over)
