Cui Xinming, manager of a tourism company in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang is in an interview with journalists in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com / Shi Jie]

We also traveled to Qinggeda Lake and the surrounding wetlands. The wetlands is an environmentally protected area in Xinjiang and is home to numerous animals including dozens of species of birds. A man-made reservoir, the lake's construction started in 1951 under the guidance of General Wang Zheng and it now is a water source for the local agricultural industry. In addition to that, the water also flows downstream to a man-made pond filled with lotus plants.