Cultivating Blueberries in the Kubuqi Desert Sands
Deep within the shifting dunes of the Kubuqi Desert at the Engebei Ecological Demonstration Zone in Dalat Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, a high-tech agricultural base is successfully producing fresh blueberries directly out of fine local sand. Operated under the direction of base manager Lu Youfeng, the facility utilizes modern 10-meter-tall intelligent greenhouses equipped with automated thermal curtains, solar heat retention, and computerized drip irrigation systems to overcome the arid environment.
The Engebei facility currently spans 121亩 across 27 specialized greenhouses. The high-altitude structures regulate internal climate parameters without active heating units, relying on precise sensors that monitor light, temperature, and humidity. Because of the intense local solar radiation, low nighttime temperatures, and minimal pest pressure, the desert-grown blueberries achieve exceptionally high sugar content and premium market quality, fetching prices between 200 and 300 yuan per jin in metropolitan centers like Beijing and Shanghai.
The Ecological Shift From Barren Sands to Green Industry
The transformation of the Engebei region represents decades of intensive anti-desertification efforts in the Inner Mongolian plateau. Long before agricultural cultivation became viable, the local landscape was characterized by barren, shifting sands. Today, the integration of controlled-environment agriculture allows the facility to operate with a lean permanent crew of seven to eight workers, while expanding seasonal harvesting demands up to 30 or 40 temporary laborers who earn daily wages of over 200 yuan.
Complementing the blueberry operations, the Engebei Desert Ecological Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center incorporates 11,340 square meters of connected smart greenhouses and 2,160 square meters of sunlight greenhouses. The center represents a total investment of 3487.9万元 and opened in January 2023. Beyond commercial fruit cultivation—which includes tropical crops such as bananas and dragon fruit alongside year-round rose displays—the facility functions as an educational hub, housing the Engebei Desert Science Museum to showcase regional sand control methodologies to researchers, students, and tourists.
Constructing the Giant Photovoltaic Great Wall Across Ordos
Parallel to agricultural innovations, Ordos is advancing large-scale renewable energy infrastructure along the northern edge of the Kubuqi Desert. Regional authorities have constructed a photovoltaic industrial belt. This installation features nearly 200,000 deep-blue solar panels arranged in the distinct shape of a galloping horse—a formation recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest graphic photovoltaic power station.
Dalat Banner Energy Bureau comprehensive support center director Li Kai explained that the geographical characteristics of Ordos—featuring flat expanses and high solar irradiance—make it an ideal location for massive clean energy deployment. The operational framework employs a multi-tiered management strategy known as generating power on the panels, repairing ecosystems between them, and cultivating vegetation underneath. By anchoring the shifting sands with drought-resistant shrub species such as Caragana microphylla (柠条) and sand willow (沙柳), the solar arrays simultaneously reduce wind speeds, limit soil moisture evaporation, and stabilize dunes.
Industrial Synergy and Clean Energy Integration in Ordos
The economic footprint of the Ordos desert initiatives extends into heavy industry and green chemical manufacturing. In the U审 Banner Tuoketuo Industrial Park, Inner Mongolia Baofeng Coal-Based Materials Co., Ltd. completed a coal-to-olefins project capable of producing three million tons of polyolefins annually. Nearby, the Zhongtian Hechuang Energy Co., Ltd. facility operates a pioneering demonstration project that integrates renewable wind and solar green hydrogen directly into coal chemical production, compressing power fluctuations to millisecond intervals and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 720,000 tons annually.
At the Xiangshawana tourism resort situated at the eastern edge of the Kubuqi Desert, commercial tourism development has similarly contributed to environmental stabilization. Li Minke noted that recreational footpaths and resort infrastructure have successfully anchored 21 square kilometers of moving sand dunes, drawing over one million visitors annually while employing local herdsmen who make up the majority of the workforce. Through structured land transfers, local households in the central-northern new energy base receive annual land-rental distributions averaging around 60,000 yuan per family.
With 1284万千瓦 of solar capacity already connected to the grid, Ordos continues to expand its dual-track model of desert restoration and industrial development.
