The shelterbelt-protected farmland grid takes shape after eco-environmental improvement at Laofengkou in Toli county, Xinjiang. Photo: Toli County Party Committee Publicity Department

As the vital transportation corridor connecting the Tacheng Basin with the outside world in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the people of various ethnic groups in Tacheng region have achieved remarkable success through over 20 years of sustained efforts. In the Laofengkou (which means Windy Pass) area — one of China's and the world's rare severe blizzard disaster zones with more than 150 days annually of winds reaching force 8 or above and maximum wind speeds of up to 40 meters per second — local people have constructed multiple green barriers, creating the green miracle of Tacheng's Laofengkou.

Laofengkou is located between Emin county and Toli county in Tacheng prefecture. Local residents describe it as experiencing "one year-long wind, blowing from spring through winter." From the 1980s to the early 1990s, blizzards caused road blockages and closures an average of more than 20 times per year, sometimes reaching up to 50 times, with frequent casualties among people and livestock, resulting in economic losses of tens of millions of yuan annually.

The people of Tacheng aimed to harness wind energy while simultaneously mitigating its destructive effects.

In 1999, the Laofengkou Comprehensive Ecological Environment Management Project in Tacheng was approved and established. By March 2000, a full-scale ecological campaign was launched to reshape the harsh natural environment.

As a core component of the Tacheng's Laofengkou Comprehensive Ecological Environment Management Project, Toli county mobilised over 100,000 government officials and residents to join this "green campaign" despite funding shortages and harsh environmental conditions. They contributed more than 100,000 person-days of labor, deployed over 10,000 vehicle trips, and planted trees across the desert wasteland through shoulder-carrying and hand-pushing efforts.

The shelterbelt-protected farmland grid takes shape after eco-environmental improvement at Laofengkou in Toli county, Xinjiang. Photo: Toli County Party Committee Publicity Department

By the end of 2002, a 14,000-acre ecological forest, comprising poplars, elms, and jujube trees, had taken shape under the Toli County Laofengkou project."This area reflects the dedication of all the people of the county," said Wang Fengsong, a Party Group Member and Deputy Director of Toli County Natural Resources Bureau. He noted that residents even traveled by taxi from Tacheng to participate in tree planting, describing the scene as "truly spectacular."

In 2003, the Laofengkou Ecological Project entered its operational phase, with management handed over to the Toli County Ecological Environment Construction Project Management Office (later renamed the Toli County Ecological Environment Protection Center). A new model was adopted "supporting forests through land use, sustaining forests through forestry, and large-scale contracted management."

Wang noted that during the past 20 years, the Toli County Laofengkou ecological zone has played a vital role in wind prevention, snow control, transportation security and water conservation.
While ensuring that regional wind energy resources remain unaffected, the  local microclimate has been improved significantly, reducing traffic disruptions on core road sections to zero.

"Through nearly 20 years of biological management, wind intensity has significantly declined, and wind speeds and snow accumulation on roads no longer cause road closures," Wang noted.

People plant vegetables between shelterbelt-protected farmlands at Laofengkou in Toli county, Xinjiang. Photo: Wang Wei

Since 2018, in accordance with directives from the Toli County Party Committee and government, the clearing of dead trees in the ecological zone has been completed, forest pest and disease outbreaks have been effectively controlled, and forest fire risks and hazards have been eliminated.

At the same time, reforestation work has been comprehensively launched, the forest management system has been fully implemented, and ecological zone cultivation and management have become more standardized, enabling the natural ecosystem to enter a virtuous cycle.

Laofengkou is now entering the “Ecological 2.0” era. Building on the momentum of the “Three North” Shelter Forest Program, Toli county is piloting the cultivation of 1,100 acres of economic crops such as Xanthoceras sorbifolia while maintaining the ecological framework.

"Previously, we focused more on ecological benefits, prioritizing wind protection. Now that the ecological zone is stable, it’s time to upgrade — using economic returns to support and strengthen ecological construction, creating a more sustainable cycle,”  Wang explained.

From the pilot construction beginning in 1993 to the official launch in 2000, the Laofengkou Comprehensive Ecological Environment Management Project has actually lasted for more than 30 years. The construction has created a windbreak forest network stretching 28 kilometers from north to south and 1.5 to 3 kilometers from east to west, serving as a vivid demonstration of Tacheng's implementation of the development philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and further reflecting the region's unwavering commitment to prioritizing ecology and pursuing green development.