During the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), some foreign attendees said they were surprised to find that the host city of Ordos does not have sand flying through the air but is a green garden.

A representative from Holland said sitting on a bench to enjoy the cityscape was a favorite thing to do during breaks.

Ordos is “green, spacious, hospitable and livable,” she said, adding that the garden-like city made her relaxed and carefree.

Tao Jialing, a 60-year-old overseas Chinese from Marseille, France said she never expected to see such a beautiful city on North China’s grasslands.

“I fell in love with the city of Ordos from the minute I got off the plane,” said Erik Grigoryan, the First Deputy Minister of Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection.

A representative from the Thai delegation said she was deeply impressed by local people's hospitality and the architecture in the modern city.

Didier Dogleg, Seychelles’ Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change said that before the visit to Ordos he had only been to large Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Every city has its own “unique charm”, and the greening in Ordos is particularly splendid, he added.

He said he was touched by the locals’ persistence and dedication to protecting the environment.

The 13th Session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was held in Ordos, Northwest China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Sept 6 - 17.

More than 2,000 representatives of 196 parties and over 20 international organizations attended the two-week event.