Later, the government gave him 44,000 yuan ($6,806) to build a brick house.

"Now we are no longer afraid of windy or rainy days," he said. "And we've stopped worrying about suffering the cold of winter."

To create a better place for Xinjiang residents to live, the system of collecting, transporting and disposing of household garbage has been gradually improved in rural areas. People who used to burn coal to keep warm in winter have started using heating facilities powered by electricity, which is more environmentally friendly.

"The favorable policies have improved our income. We renovated our houses and raised our living standards," said Mamat Rahman, a resident of southern Xinjiang.

Video by Mamatali Anwar