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146 days ago
By Will James and Michelle Trauring He Yan Zhong found a better way to raise trout – on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert in China’s arid Midwest. A Shanghai-based entrepreneur and owner of Faitian Green Farm, he’s part of a Chinese solution to a global problem – a fish industry plagued by contamination. The water is the key to He’s prototype trout farm outside Dunhuang. It’s routed from the looming Qilian Mountains – pure glacial water, free of the pollutants found in fish farms across the world. Because of the site’s remote desert location, there’s no risk of the contamination that goes hand-in-hand with industry. The average modern fish farm is a biohazard. The creatures stew in their own waste, vulnerable to deadly fungus and injury due to crowding, requiring heaps of antibiotics pumped into the standing water. The desert site is an experimental shot at a greener alternative. The fish live in lanes of rushing water, filtered by pools of reeds and algae, ...
147 days ago
By Josh Kamins Snaking through China’s western frontier, three of the country's largest deserts converge at the Magao grottos in Dun Huang— a series of caves washed over by red sand and time. Inside the grottos, slack-jawed visitors gawk at the 100-foot tall Buddha among other Buddhist relics. Yet with all there is to see here, certain elements of Christian influence appear to be restricted from public view. Elements out of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code can be gleaned from the walls of Magao. The novel popularized the role of the Holy Grail legend and Magdalene’s role in the history of Christianity. "Most of the caves are open only for research and not for public access," said Jessica Tu, a grotto tour guide. Of the caves bearing substantial reference to Christianity, none were accessible on a recent wind-swept afternoon in early July. Symbols of fertility, the feminine principle, and repetitions of the number 12, all which are commonly ...
147 days ago
By Brittany Wait and Jason Van Hoven People from all over the world visit Xi’an in China's Shaanxi province to witness life-sized, ancient soldiers at the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Each beige-colored, armor-clad warrior flaunts various intricate facial expressions and features. They range in height from six feet to six-foot five-inches. "China is amazed at how smart they were and this is a symbol of national pride," says Li Xue, 23, a student at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Courtney Barnett, 34, of Louisiana was on a trip to the museum with her family during a two-week visit to the province. Barnett adopted a two-year-old girl with her husband and says she wanted to take her to see this part of China’s history. "We were in awe as soon as we saw the statues," she says, looking into pit one in the first room that she visited. This pit, the largest of four, is believed to contain 6,000 warriors and horses, some unearthed while ...
147 days ago
By Lauren Cioffi and Micheline Maroni The booming of diesel engines emanates for miles as construction trucks on a distant highway haul building materials to modernize western China. On the narrow Highway 312, these freight trucks come to a standstill as a traffic jam creates the first of many temporary halts, adding endless hours to a driver's daily grind. In the distance, power lines stretching from the dry earth to the lush mountaintops taint the view of high peaks and vegetation. Welcome to the fabled Silk Road. The Silk Road, stretching over 4,000 miles, has served to transport goods to and from the West for over 2,000 years. While truck drivers still traverse this section of the ancient road, it's become a symbol of China's uneven development. Outdated dirt roads don't hold up to the modern vehicles and traffic volume. The government has taken action to update this route. A new highway that runs parallel will be completed at the end of this year, ...
149 days ago
Yan Na, a worker at a silk carpet factory in Tianshui, China. Photo by Christine Vargas. By Christine Vargas Yan Na looked a lot younger than her co-workers at the Tianshui Xintian Silk Carpet Company. The ruggedness of her hands and face made her look older than her 21 years. Her fingers were spotted with blisters and sores. She picked up the shuttle tool with her small right hand, her face concentrating on the blueprint of the carpet she was weaving. Her hands jabbed into the loom. The noise of the factory drowned out the sound of Yan Na’s batten procedure. "When I started working here my hands used to hurt and my nails used to break constantly," she said. "But now I am used to it." Her hands kept moving. Her outfit was pieced together: a cerulean shirt and khaki Bermuda shorts, with white and black stripes by the knee. Her long black hair was up. Yan Na, a native of ...
