Life in the sea of death

"There are hardly any distractions here, so it is easy to concentrate on work," she explained. "The community here is closer for it."

She has sown more than 400 species of plants in the sandy earth, and watched 240 kinds survive. Her work has made the "heart" of Taklamakan desert green and vibrant.

As the clock ticked to midnight, a tipsy Yang leaned on his co-worker and the two staggered back to their rooms. Yusupjan turned off the stove, and joined his wife who was cleaning the tables. Memet went back to his truck to bed down for the night.