About 30 young people from Taiwan and some media workers visited the Ningxia Hui autonomous region recently to learn about its history and culture.

At Shahu Lake, Joey K.J. Huang said she was surprised to see the beauty of the integrated water town and desert for the first time.

"I learned that the water sources of Shahu Lake are not only underground aquifers, but also come from the Yellow River, rain and Helan Mountain," she said.

At Minning town, resident Xie Xingchang told a story of locals fighting for a better life and explained how the town prospers in a bleak and desolate region.