Urumqi, March 3 (Zhongxin Net) -- There are two Daria Buyi in the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, one is the "old" Daria Buyi, which is more than 24 kilometers away from the G315 national highway, and the other is the "new" Daria Buyi, which is 200 kilometers away from the G315 national highway.
Recently, the reporter followed the "2022-2023 New Year's Eve Expedition through the Taklamakan Desert" to go deep into the "Sea of Death" to visit the "twin cities" in the desert.
The banks of the Kriya River are littered with patches of poplars. Photo by Pan Qi
Old Village: A "fence house" in the desert
What was the most unexpected thing in the desert? A large river 30 meters wide blocked the way.
The buggy roared into the desert and headed north along the Kriya River. As far as the eye can see, the yellow sand is long, the hills are undulating, and there is no "road" around. Follow the faintly recognizable ruts, shuttling between sand dunes one after another, climbing over sand hills forty or fifty meters high, rushing up and down again.
Struggling through the bumps, reporters struggled to hold up their phones to photograph the sand dunes, river beaches, poplars and winding Kriya River passing by outside the window. All you can see is desolation, except for the roar of off-road vehicles climbing hills, empty and silent.
After experiencing trapping, rescue, and digging, the speeding vehicles suddenly stopped, and a 30-meter-wide river blocked the way. Lin Siyang, party secretary of Dariya Buyi Township, Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, arranged for villagers to pave a boardwalk on the ice. The reporter and his party walked cautiously into China's "last desert primitive village."
Hungry, after dropping off his luggage, he looked at the cooking smoke and touched the kitchen. The bonfire is lit, the steaming Kumachi (commonly known as "desert scones") and roast meat are served, and the scalding and fragrant medicinal tea melts away the dust and fatigue along the way.
In the midst of the feast, the chill hit. The reporter noticed that the houses here are a little special. Thick poplar wood supports the house, and fine red willows are woven into thin walls, which locals call "fence houses". There is almost no furniture in the house, there is a square fire pit in the middle, slightly below the countertop, people sit cross-legged around the pond, light poplar wood instantly warmth, the front is baked, the back is baked, the reporter quickly gave himself a "double-sided frying".
In order to welcome the guests, the villagers specially prepared roasted whole sheep. Photo by Pan Qi
There are also two small shops in the village that are still open, and the shops in the black hole hole are only daily necessities such as radish, onions, potatoes, garlic and the most basic drinking water. Villager Yusuf Kurban said that the location of the shop is the commercial center of the village.
Villagers who accompanied reporters around the village said that a long time ago, due to the geographical location and inconvenient transportation, the village was almost isolated from the world, and the food and materials needed for food had always been transported from the county town more than 200 kilometers away by camel caravans, and obtained by a relatively primitive barter trading method. "In the past, Dariabhui had no electricity at all, but since 2001, it has been electrified, mainly relying on solar energy, and when I was a child, I especially looked forward to sunny days, not sunny nights, there was no electricity."
Overnight in the old village of Daria Buyi, the reporter had a dream. I dreamed that the ancestors here came from the ancient city on camels, from Lop Nur, and immigrated here, a wooden house, a poplar, a herd of cattle and sheep, a well, they leisurely chopped firewood and grazed herds. Pass through the golden sand dunes, flocks of poplars and patches of reeds under the clear blue sky. People don't close their homes at night, and the roads don't go anywhere.
In the early morning, villagers lead camels on the sand dunes. Photo by Pan Qi
Tram charging piles "stationed" in the desert new village
The car arrived later than expected. The sun is dazzling, the white walls and gray tiles of the new brick house, there is not a "fence room". In the distance, children play, and the houses are neat. The "spring" in the new village of Dariabhui came early.
In order to thoroughly improve and facilitate people's lives, in 2017, Yutian County, Xinjiang, built a new Daliyabuyi New Village more than 100 kilometers south of Daria Buyi Old Village, and organized villagers to relocate in batches.
Lin Siyang said that over the years, people from the old village have begun to adapt to the modern lifestyle. At present, there are 347 households and 1333 people in the village. The new village is now connected to water, electricity, roads, radio and television, broadband, and supporting facilities such as water plants, health centers, primary schools, and kindergartens.
Comparison of streets in the old village of Daria Buyi New Village. Photo by Pan Qi
Walking into the homes of villagers, the windows are clear, and the water, electricity and Internet are fully equipped. "Now I cook on the gas, I have a water heater for my bath, and I can watch TV every night." Yusuf Kurban told reporters that refrigerators, washing machines and other home appliances have become the standard for people in this desert village. The "fence room" has been fixed as a "diary of light and shadow" on old photographs.
In order to remember the old days, the villagers spontaneously built a "peasant museum", where the old-fashioned farm tools, wooden wheels and daily necessities displayed in the courtyard house contrasted with his modest home today.
What's even more surprising is that the new village of Dariabhui has modern car charging stations. Reziwanguli Mutharif, head of Dariabhui Township, said that these charging piles were installed in 2021, hoping to provide local residents and tourists with new energy vehicle charging services and solve the "rations" of vehicles.
Today, Dariabhui said goodbye to collecting firewood and fire... It solves the difficulty of travel, electricity, water, and communication, and does not fall behind the pace of the times.
Locals sit cross-legged around the firepit. Photo by Pan Qi
Find the way to riches, desert villages and develop tourism
In addition to the changes in the village, in recent years, the villagers have entered a new modern life through the development of desert special tourism, as well as poverty alleviation and income increase through the cultivation of rue and the development of aquaculture.
More and more young people in the village are opening up new ways of employment. One of them is 26-year-old Mahmut Matisei, who currently works as an expedition leader, leading tourists and staff through the desert. Mehmati Matisai said that he began to be an expedition leader in 2019, and he could earn about 5000,<> yuan in one activity, and the days of grazing "relying on the sky to harvest" are gone.
Daria Buyi New Village developed tourism and built rows of homestays. Photo by Pan Qi
Lin Siyang said frankly that developing tourism, playing "tourism chess" around "one grain of sand" and allowing villagers to live a good life of "relying on sand and eating sand" is our next goal. "We have preserved the original appearance of the old village, we can see the fence house, we can see the hand-pressed well... At present, we are gradually improving the infrastructure, restoring the appearance of the village, exploring the development of ancient village adventure tours and folk tourism, and building the new village into an energy supply station for self-driving off-road tourists, providing consulting and guidance, route planning, catering and other services. ”
It is understood that in 2021, during the peak tourism period, Daria Buyi welcomed more than 1 tourists from all over the country in less than one month, with a revenue of more than 10,<> yuan. The villagers have also gained regular jobs and stable income because of tourism.
The Kunlun Mountains stand tall, but the mountains and mountains have changed the world, and the once "desert lonely village" is on the road of rural revitalization. "The night before I moved to the new village in 2019, I couldn't sleep. But now, I am hopeful for the future. Mehmut Matisai said. (End)