Across China: New professions emerge amid NW China’s desert tourism boom

YINCHUAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — Sleeping in hotels under starry skies and sipping coffee have become tourism trends in the desert of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, drawing growing numbers of travelers.
According to data from Meituan, one of China’s leading online services platforms, searches for “Tengger Desert hotels” skyrocketed by 470 percent and searches for “desert coffee” soared by 518 percent in early August.
This tourism boom has not only fueled the local economy but also sparked the rise of new, unique professions such as desert barista and stargazing guide.
“There was no coffee in the desert in Ningxia before, but the influx of big-city tourists changed that,” said 24-year-old Li Qian, who is from Ningxia’s Zhongwei City.
After graduating from college, she started working part-time as a barista at the Tengol desert resort hotel in the Tengger Desert, which extends partially into Zhongwei. During the peak tourist season, Li and her fellow desert baristas brew up to 700 cups of coffee a day.
Her hometown, Zhongwei, was once plagued by sandstorms but has since undergone transformations. Thanks to extensive desertification control efforts, the Tengger Desert has receded by 25 km, turning once-barren land into greenery. And today, Zhongwei has become a tourist hotspot.
“Most of our customers come from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and they love snapping photos to share on social media,” she said. The increasing number of visitors has introduced coffee culture to the desert, creating new job opportunities for young locals like Li in their own hometowns.
To cater to tourists’ fascination with the desert and the starry sky, Li crafted a unique meteor shower coffee using latte art that mirrors the starry sky. This innovative brew quickly became a hit with visitors.
“In Zhongwei, there’s nothing like sipping a coffee while stargazing,” Li said, noting that the recent Perseid meteor shower had lit up the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere from July 17 to Aug. 24.
For those seeking deeper exploration of the night sky, a unique experience with expert guidance awaits. Jin Yanping, a stargazer from Ningxia who was born in the 1990s, works as a desert stargazing guide. He leads tourists across the desert to experience the vastness of the universe through the stars.
“As a child, I was always fascinated by the mysteries of the sky,” Jin said. In 2021, he became a stargazing guide and has since become one of the most sought-after guides in the Tengger Desert.
But Jin’s work goes beyond stargazing. He educates travelers about constellations, mythology and astronomy, enriching their appreciation of the night sky’s wonders. In the desert of Ningxia, visitors can recline on soft dunes, gaze up at the Milky Way and feel a deep connection with nature.
“When people look up at a sky full of stars, they often feel a rush of excitement and contentment,” Jin said. “It’s a moment that lets them escape the worries of everyday life, even if just for a little while.”
Zhu Ying, a tourist from east China’s Shanghai, traveled to Ningxia in mid-August to witness the breathtaking Perseid meteor shower. “Lying in the desert and gazing at the stars, I felt a profound sense of tranquility. It was as if I became one with the universe, and all my worries simply melted away,” she said, reflecting on the experience.
The desert tourism boom has also given rise to other emerging professions, including camel handler, off-road vehicle coach and even desert DJ, creating fresh opportunities for local youth.
“This new profession not only creates new employment opportunities but also lets us savor the beauty of life in the desert,” said Li, the barista. ■