The People's Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region held a conference to discuss the approved design plan for the new Ningxia International Desert Park on Apr 19.

Officials discussed plans to build China’s first "World Desert Center" that would have a strong focus on the region’s culture as well as science and technological achievements.

Regional government chairman Wang Zhengwei said the park will feature landmark architecture worthy of a world-class tourist destination, and he hopes the site will become the number one attraction in Ningxia.

The park’s world-class design team includes professors of architecture at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University, as well as architects from leading international design firms.

The design plan, already one year in the making, contains six parks, including a desert museum, rare desert animals, a desert green energy demonstration, desert leisure activities, desert culture and desert industrial exhibitions. Park buildings will also feature low-carbon ecologically sustainable design.