A sweeping portrait of China's vast northwest

Despite having only 5.5 percent of China's arable land, Xinjiang is one of the country's most highly mechanized agricultural regions. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the region produced 24.32 million metric tons of grain in 2025, ranking 13th nationwide, while achieving the highest per-unit yield in the country at 8,291.9 kilograms per hectare.

Beneath the surface, Xinjiang is also rich in mineral resources, with 154 types identified — including coal, oil, natural gas, gold, copper and lithium — accounting for 88 percent of mineral varieties discovered in China. Among these, the region leads the country in proven reserves of 10 minerals.

The capacity of Xinjiang's new energy resources, such as wind and solar power, has exceeded 100 million kilowatts — equivalent to 4.5 times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project. The electricity generated is transmitted to 22 provincial-level administrative regions.

In recent years, megaprojects focused on energy and transport have significantly alleviated the natural barriers that once hindered Xinjiang's development. Among the most exciting updates is the 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world's longest expressway tunnel, which opened to traffic on Dec 26.

The tunnel crosses through the Tianshan Mountains and reduces travel time from several hours to just around 20 minutes, enhancing connectivity between northern and southern Xinjiang.

Having integrated these megaprojects into the book — such as the tunnel and ultrahigh voltage transmission systems which allow Xinjiang to literally "charge" distant provinces — Hong expressed a personal interest in these projects that manage to "reorganize resources across such a vast expanse of land and reshape its surface".