Xinjiang, Taklamakan, a vast expanse of sand. Suddenly, a train passes along the tracks, nestled amongst greenery, breaking the surrounding silence.

13-year-old Abduriyim Abduairi gazes out the window, occasionally checking his watch. In an hour or two, he will arrive in Yutain County for a study trip to Uncle Kurban's hometown.

“We've known the story of Uncle Kurban ‘riding his donkey to Beijing’ since we were little, but this is the first time we're taking a train to his hometown,” Abduriyim says, his excitement evident. His 30-odd classmates share his anticipation.

Last June, the Hejo Railway opened, connecting with the previously opened Geku Railway and Southern Xinjiang Railway, marking the completion of a loop around the Taklamakan Desert. This is also the world's first railway loop around a desert, with a total length of 2712 kilometers.

A year later, a reporter travels along the railway in Xinjiang. The Taklamakan Desert remains vast and imposing; however, the cities and villages connected by the railway loop are undergoing quietly delightful changes…

Development Path, Revitalizing the Oasis

How much energy can a railway generate? The people of all ethnic groups living along the railway have the most to say. The speeding trains steadily propel the areas along the line towards the ‘poetry and distance’ of rural revitalization.

—This is a ‘local product’ loop line.

In the Yarkant River basin, walnut cultivation has a history of over a thousand years. However, the walnut trees bear fruit year after year, yet poverty has been passed down through generations.

“Don't worry, the walnuts are going by special train; it's very fast.” In the summer, Ruze Maimiti Nu'er, general manager of the Kelamu Agricultural Products Company in Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, assures a customer over the phone.

With the railway open, walnuts, this treasure of a ‘yellow fruit,’ have become ‘golden eggs’ for the people to increase their income and become wealthy. Ruze Maimiti told the reporter that this year's expected sales volume is over 40,000 tons, which can help more than 20,000 local villagers increase their income.

Carpets from Hotan Prefecture, new plums from Kashgar Prefecture, apples from Aksu Prefecture… With the help of the railway, Xinjiang's characteristic agricultural and sideline products are reaching the whole country faster.