2000 Year Old Oasis In China Desert

No, it's not a mirage: Tiny 2,000-year-old oasis in China that keeps city alive is saved from being swallowed by desert

• Crescent Lake near Dunhuang is a spring in the shape of a half moon
• Oasis surrounded by sand dunes was shrinking fast due to desertification
• Saved from disappearing after government began to refill it

Life Along Grand Canal In China

Barges long plied the 1,100-mile canal between Beijing and Hangzhou, its glittering southern terminus. Bankside revitalization includes replicas of ancient temples.