 Ningxia is the smallest of China's western provinces and autonomous regions. Lying in the middle reaches of the Yellow River with an area of 66,400 square kilometers, including 810,000 hectares of plowland and 2,670,000 hectares of grassland, Ningxia is one of the 10 largest rangelands. Ningxia has rich nonmetal resources such as coal, gypsum, petroleum and natural gas.
Ningxia has a long shape from north to south and topography of running from south to north. The average altitude is above 1000 meters. The Ningxia Plain in the north is the alleviation of the Yellow River. It is a famous irrigation area creating an oasis that is rarely seen in northwest China. It is also abundant in wheat, corn, vegetables, fruits and esp. high quality rice.
The state-owned Qingtong Gorge water conservancy project has greatly improved the irrigation condition of Ningxia Plain. The Agriculture Development Zone brings new changes to the old Ningxia irrigation area and beautiful rural scenery is now appearing.
 Interview: Dr. Zhou Minliang, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
It is clearly seen that Ningxia has a relatively high grain yield per capita among all the western provinces and still has great potential in irrigation by using the Yellow River water. It has a large plain beside the Yellow River; with its water there will be easier irrigation and improving grain yield. People can move from the poor south Ningxia mountain to here and make contribution to the economic development.
We cannot compare the development of Ningxia to that of east China, for there is continuous spread of desert and soil erosion. At present there are desert land areas equaling 12,600 square kilometers and soil erosion areas of 24,000 square kilometers. Under such adverse conditions, each step of Ningxia's development is full of the human challenge towards nature.
When the Baotou-Lanzhou section was completed in 1958 at Shapotou, Ningxia, it was asserted that the railway would be flooded by sand within 2 years. Over 40 years have passed and it still works well protected by a nearly 100-meter wide plant screen. With wisdom and perseverence, Chinese people have created a world miracle of controlling the spread of desert effectively.
 The first high way in Ningxia between Shizui Mountain to Zhongning is being constructed and 83.4 kilometers has completed. The construction of county-level roads is also being developed. Now good roads lead out 92% administrative villages in Ningxia. However, the general infrastructure in Ningxia is still backward and restricts its economic development. It will be an essential element of the ongoing development of west China.
Interview: Mr. Mao, Sceretary of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region CPC Committee
About the infrastructure, we will continue to improve the transportation condition. We will raise large amount of money to complete the high way construction in Ningxia and connect it to the national high way net. We will also build a railway leading to east China and make it the second railroad between north and northwest China.
The reason west China remains underdeveloped is due to a lack of education, science,and technology. So development is dependant on the improvement of all these factors and it's the basis of the plan to improve west China's economic development and therefore improve the efficiency.
 32-year-old Prof. Zhao Tiansheng earned his doctoral degree in 1999 at the State Key Laboratory for Coal Transition, Shanxi Coal Chemistry Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His main research area is Coal-Chemistry and Chemical Industry, Environment Amicable Catalysts and Synthesis. In 1999, he came to Ningxia and through displaying innovation and talent he became Dean of Key Laboratory for Chemical Energy Industry and Applied Research at Ningxia University. He is in charge of all the work there.
Interview: Dr. Zhao Tiansheng, Dean of Key Lab for Energy Chemical Industry and Applied Research, Ningxia University
I didn't choose to stay in big cities, because there are too many talents and I feel I could get comparatively more space for personal development in Ningxia. The Autonomous Region has realized the importance of science and technology and is providing us with its best convenience. Therefore, we can work in our own direction. That's why I came here.
By introducing high level intellectuals like Zhao Tiansheng, Ningxia has invested greatly in the Key Lab at Ningxia University, in order to make full use of the advantages of having talented scientific researchers and to keep up with the pace of international developments in the area of chemical and natural resources industry developments. Through the implementation of science and technology projects, large numbers of well-trained specialists will better serve the economic construction of Ningxia.
 People of Hui nationality has a belief in the Islamic religion. Although they are a minority group, they have a large population and are wide spread in China. There are over 8 million Chinese Hui people and Ningxia is the only Hui Autonomous Region in China.
In Ningxia you could see many unique styled Mosques, where the Hui people conduct Islamic rituals. Being influenced by Islamism, the Hui people of Ningxia have their own customs of clothes, food, living arrangements, marriage and funeral rites. Walking in the streets of Ningxia, you can see many Islamic restaurants with signboards written in Arabic or "Islam" in Chinese characters. There are also Moslems from all over the world. All these things will arouse your great interest in Hui people, their customs and Islamic culture.
In the West Xia Imperial Tomb Area, there are all together 9 emperor tombs and more than 140 tombs for those buried with the emperors. Each tomb area is an integrated architecture complex, covering over 100,000 square meters and compiled of both main and auxiliary buildings. The building above the ground follows a Chinese traditional architectural style and symmetry. The most important building above the ground is the vault. Today only the ruins remain, but its historical value and national significance have made it a famous tourist attraction for Ningxia.
Other than the West Xia Imperial Tomb, there are still many unique tourism items in Ningxia. Shatoupo in Zhongwei County is the famous "Capital of Sand". Tourists can enjoy the flying feeling when sliding down from the hundred-high sand hill. At the foot of the sand hill, they can also try a breathtaking floating on the Yellow River by sheep hide rafts and nearby the Sand Lake is a good place for an ecological tour---it is a real paradise for birds, fish and human beings.
Interview: Wang Yongzhong, Head of Tourism Bureau of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
The visitors to Ningxia account to 2.4 million up till now this year with a tourism income of 800 million. The two numbers have been increased 22% and 45% respectively.
In fact, tourism industry has just started in Ningxia. Before 1998, the average annual tourist number is no more than 1 million, with less than 100 million yuan tourism income. The rich tourism resources are not well developed because of such reasons as the old conceptions and bad infrastructure condition.
West China development has brought Ningxia new business opportunities in tourism. The local government sees tourism as a new economic developing element and increases investment for not only natural scenery such as mountain, desert, water and grassland, but also humanity scenic spots.
Interview: the Head of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Tourism Bureau
Our next step is to provide more favorable policy to attract investors both at home and abroad to develop the tourism industry of Ningxia. Those who invest and operate will benefit. In addition, we will make good planning in the very first step for a better development and build the visiting places of Ningxia more comfortable and satisfactory.
Speaking of the tourism of Ningxia, the famous writer Zhang Xianliang is a must to mention about. In 1961, Zhang explored the imposing Zhenbeibao and special charm of the yellow land in his novel Trees for Afforestation. In early 1980s' he again introduced Zhenbeibao to film circles. From then on, this place gets showed in many movies and TV programs. When Zhang Xianliang's novel Herdsman was adapted to a movie, it also took Zhenbeibao for quite a few shots. In 1993, Zhang succeeded in building up Hua Xia West Movie & TV City here after hard working. The "wildness" becomes commodity and enters into the market.
Interviewing Zhang Xianliang, Writer
Why is the "wildness" in other places not able to be sold but we can do it here? Because there is deep cultural and artistic connotation in this "wildness". When people come here to visit, they can enjoy the art of movies at the same time.
Today, with its unique primitive and wildness, the Movie City in Zhenbeibao has become an important shooting place for western style movies and TV series and attracts a lot of visitors. It has become a beautiful scene of Ningxia.
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