While the camel caravans sometimes seem to linger through centuries of dust and heat waves on the Silk Road, the strong sun and wind, a hardship to the traders before, have turned out to be treasures for Gansu.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a new Silk Road economic belt during his visit to Central Asian countries in 2013, the province in Northwest China, where the ancient Silk Road ran for 1,600 kilometers, is embracing the new opportunities offered by the plan.

The provincial government has decided to focus on new energy as part of its efforts to build an eco-friendly economy and enhance cooperation with Central and Western Asian countries, according to a development blueprint.