Lives of people in Korla, NW China's Xinjiang (6)

Tourists go sightseeing in the desert on camelback in the Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 25, 2021. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Ruohan)

Located in the Tarim Basin, the Lop Nur People Village, situated at the terminal point where the Tarim River flows through the desert, is famous for its natural scenery and the long life expectancy of its residents. As one of the oldest indigenous populations living in the Taklamakan Desert, the roots of the Lop Nur people can be traced back thousands of years to when they used to survive by fishing in the nearby lake. Their descendants are now considered a sub-ethnicity to the Uygur people in China. Today, most of the Lop Nur people live in Yuli County in Xinjiang. The village of Lop Nur is one of the largest villages in western China and a popular tourist destination, attracting tourists from home and abroad hoping to enjoy the exhilarating desert scenery and experience the local traditional ethnic culture. The thriving tourism industry has benefited the locals in Lop Nur village, creating more job opportunities for its residents. The people of Lop Nur can sell varieties of their famous roast fish and handcrafted model canoes to inbound tourists during the busy vacationing seasons.