Reference Message Network reported on April 7 that the Spanish "Economist" website published an article titled "China's Oil Highway Across 552 Kilometers of Desert Marks 30 Years, Once Considered an Impossible Project" on April 5. The report was written by journalist Luis Garcia. The compiled report is as follows: The vegetation along both sides of the Tarim Desert Highway is dense to prevent the highway from being buried by sand. The highway opened in 1995. At that time, China needed to build this highway in a desolate area to provide a transportation channel for its oil. The Tarim Desert Highway crosses China's "Sea of Death," a seemingly impossible route, at least many people thought so when construction began in 1993. It is one of China's large-scale infrastructure projects, connecting Luntai and Minfeng counties with a total length of 552 kilometers, of which 446 kilometers are mobile desert sections. The highway crosses the Taklamakan Desert, one of the driest deserts in the world. It is called the "Sea of Death" because there are moving dunes, no permanent water sources, extreme temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius during the day in summer, and temperatures may drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius at night in winter. In 1989, more than 30 years ago, when the project to build this highway was still under consideration, the main purpose was to provide a passage to the region's oil fields and gas fields under the background of the continuous expansion of China's petroleum industry. Many people believed that building this highway was simply impossible because the project posed too many challenges, especially in terms of maintenance and upkeep. There was a high possibility that the highway would be buried by sand, but due to the adoption of novel methods, it has "withstood" 30 years. To prevent the highway from being buried by sand and to stop moving sand dunes from crossing the road, China designed an "ecological barrier," establishing a green zone along the route through the desert to protect the highway. Millions of shrubs and trees have been planted along both sides of the road, particularly Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix species. These plants require very little water. These plants have survived thanks to the drip irrigation system providing groundwater. They play a role in preventing sand dunes from shifting, protecting the road from being buried by sand while stabilizing the terrain. Today, this system remains practically valuable. With these infrastructures, China has proven that even in the face of the most barren deserts, the country can overcome problems through meticulous planning. This highway is not only an engineering miracle but also provides a possibility for combating desertification due to its innovative ecological solutions. This highway is always attended by specialists to ensure the maintenance of vegetation. Hundreds of workers are on standby, with houses every four kilometers along the route where workers responsible for this section live. The Tarim Desert Highway is also a Chinese "Great Wall" with characteristics to resist sandstorms. The main purpose of this highway is to transport oil. Over the past 30 years, hundreds of wells have been drilled along the highway for irrigation. This irrigation system was made possible by the discovery of underground aquifers. This highway in Xinjiang, China, was originally built to transport oil, but over the years, it has become an important channel for transporting various goods and is now also a significant tourist attraction. (Compiled/Translated by Liu Lifei) Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490400813467238950/ Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views. Please express your opinions by voting up or down below.