2. Guyuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region

Guyuan is a landlocked city in Northwest China. Many areas feature rolling hills and barren land, a landscape assessed by the UN as being unfit for human habitation. To ensure that residents can access medical services, job opportunities and education, in 1993, the local government launched a massive project that saw 350,000 farmers relocated to a settlement camp near Yinchuan, the regional capital. Homes were built for the newcomers, along with greenhouses to allow them to grow cucumbers and tomatoes on a large scale throughout the year.