Is there any land for rice growing near the desert? Yes, the answer is in Hotan, in the Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, near the Taklimakan desert. Pictures show a vast expanse of rice-growing land in a village under Han'airike town of Hotan County. The large-scale rice cultivation has increased the yield and also created a unique landscape on the edge of the desert. Local residents also enjoy a better quality of life there. Photos: Tu Lei/GT