Reporter's notebook: A tour of Urumqi and Ili in Xinjiang

5. A Kazak woman works in plastic greenhouses at a village in Tekes county, Ili, Aug 7, 2011. The woman’s husband, Sherip, is a local celebrity for his success in growing vegetables and technological assistance to other Kazak people. A local official said that greenhouse planting has become a major economic source for people who were traditionally used to a nomadic life.

6. A photographer captures sunflowers in Tekes county, Ili, Aug 7, 2011. Local residents barely notice the beauty of this sunflower field, and for them Xinjiang simply has too many other natural sceneries than this, but for first-time visitors to Xinjiang this is already good enough to press the shutter.