AcrossChina:Wineindustrybringsgreenlandscape,prosperitytoonce-barrensoil_GuangmingOnlineYINCHUAN,March17(Xinhua)--AtYuanshiVineyard,whichislocatedattheeasternfootofHelanMountaininnorthwestChina'sNingxiaHuiAutonomousRegion,stonesfromtheGobiDeserthavebeenpavedintobuildingsandroads,andwiresandgrapevineshavebeenrepurposedasconstructionmaterials."It'shardtoimaginethatthewineryusedtobeaminescatteredwithgravelandcoveredindust,"saidYuanHui,founderofYuanshiVineyard.In2008,Yuaninvestedina400-hectareabandonedsandmine.Hebegangrowinggrapesandundertookecologicalrestorationworkwiththesupportofthelocalgovernment.In2014,thewineryopenedtothepublic."Alongwithimprovedecologicalconditions,wineandtourismhaveattractedalargenumberoftouriststovisitandlearntastingtechniques.Productsfromourwineryalsosellwell,"Yuansaid.Thewineindustryhashelpedturntheonce-barrenlandnearHelanMountainintoa195-km-longgreenbeltofgrapevines.AccordingtothemanagementcommitteeofawineindustrialparkattheeasternfootofHelanMountain,atagrapeproductionbaseforwine-making,grapeswereplantedonbarrenlandwiththeapplicationofwater-savingirrigationtechnology,forminga20,000-hectareoasisofgrapevinesandnearly4,000hectaresofshelterbelts.Thearea'sdryland,appropriatesoilconditionsandsufficientlevelsofsunshinehaveaidedinthedevelopmentofthelocalwineindustry,enablinggrapevinerootstoabsorbasmuchwaterandmineralsfromthesoilaspossible,accordingtoZhaoShihua,directorofawine-industrytechnologycollaborativeinnovationcenternearHelanMountain."Asaresult,grapesgrownintheregionhaveagoodaromaandgoodpigment,andtheyreachappropriatesugarandaciditylevels,"Zhaosaid.Thevineyardsintheareaarelocatedatalatitudeof38degreesnorth--thesamelatitudeaskeywine-producingareasinSpain,ItalyandtheUnitedStates.Andthesevineyardshavegainedaninternationalreputation.LocalwinesaresoldtocountriessuchasCanada,SwitzerlandandBritain,andtheirqualityhasbeenrecognizedbyJancisRobinson,oneoftheworld'stopsommeliers."Inthe1980s,whenwesoldourindigenouslyproducedwineforthefirsttime,wecouldn'tfindabottleopeneronthemarket.Now,winehasgrownintoalargeindustry,"saidYuHuiming,onetheearliestwine-makersinNingxia.Ningxia'sboomingwineindustryhasbroughtabouteconomicdevelopmentinthelandlockedregion,aswellasplentyofjobopportunitiesforlocals.Acrosstheregion,theindustryprovidesabout130,000jobsforlocalseveryyear.Vineyardsrequireasignificantamountoflaborfornearlyeightmonthseveryyear,includinglabortocleanburiedgrapevines,nurturetheplantsandburytheminthewintertoprotectthemfromfreezingtemperatures.LocalgrapegrowerMaShoujianisparticularlybusyduringthesummer,whenthegrapesripen.Inadditiontohisworkinthevineyards,healsoarrangesaccommodationforthemanymigrantworkerswhotraveltotheeasternfootofHelanMountaintowork."Inrecentyears,manyvineyardshavebeenbuiltinthesurroundingareasanditiseasytofindajobhere,"hesaid.Withseveralyearsofexperience,hehasbeenpromotedtomanagealargevineyardarea."Thereisnodifficultyearning10,000yuan(about1,409U.S.dollars)amonth.Ievenboughtacarformyfamilylastyear,"hesaid.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.