International visitors explore four decades of greening in Xinjiang's Kekeya

AKSU, Xinjiang, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- After viewing photographs of the area's earlier landscape at the Kekeya Memorial Hall in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, American actor and television presenter Steven Weathers was impressed by the transformation of Kekeya, not only for its greenery, but also for what the trees produced.

"It's not just green, but it's practical. It's orchards of apples and other fruits," Weathers said during a visit with international guests.

Kekeya's afforestation project, launched in 1986, marks its 40th anniversary this year. The project aimed to combat desertification and reduce the impact of shifting sands and dust storms on nearby residents.

Through the sustained efforts of volunteers and forest rangers, about 80,000 hectares of forests were planted from 1986 to 2020. The number of dusty days in nearby Aksu City fell from about 100 in 1980 to around 30 in 2022.

For Weathers, who has lived in China for more than two decades, an encounter at the memorial hall brought that history closer.

He recalled meeting 81-year-old Imam Memet, the first head of the Kekeya forestry station, which was established in 1986. Meeting a man whose earlier life was documented in the museum's photographs gave the story a human dimension.

"His son was with him. And his grandson even helped out as a 12-year-old at the time, just carrying branches and moving things around," Weathers said.

Reflecting on the planning behind China's greening efforts, he added that coordination was something he believed the United States could learn from China.

Local governments also encouraged residents to help preserve the hard-earned forests while supporting their incomes through the cultivation of cash crops, including apples, walnuts and jujubes. The juicy Aksu apple has become Xinjiang's signature agricultural product.

For Ugandan journalist Jenipher Asimwe, the connection between ecological protection and economic activity was a key lesson of the visit. An apple orchard the group visited near the memorial hall left a particularly strong impression on her.

She told Xinhua that the orchards demonstrated how restoration could support both environmental protection and local development.

The visit reminded her of semi-arid areas in Uganda, where, she said, livestock keepers face water shortages during dry periods. She expressed hope for more cooperation between Uganda and China to explore locally suitable approaches to land restoration and agricultural development.

"If you came here, as I did, you cannot even know that it was once a desert," she said.

The greening effort has also shaped wider ecological work in Aksu. At a July press conference marking the anniversary, local authorities described how the region had combined ecological restoration with fruit cultivation, processing and other industries.

The visit to Kekeya was part of the third installment of the 2026 "Xinjiang in Four Seasons" tour, which brought international social media influencers to cultural sites, agricultural facilities and other destinations across Aksu Prefecture.

For Asimwe, the transformation also underscored the importance of sustained effort.

"You cannot say that it was a one-day thing," she said. "It was done step by step."