XINJIANG Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far northwest is a world away from Shanghai in distance, lifestyle, wealth, climate and population. But there is a tie that binds.

In 1997, under a central government program pairing wealthier areas of the country with poorer ones, Shanghai was designated to be a benefactor to Aksu Prefecture in western Xinjiang.

Minhang, as part of that project, has been contributing its skills to Aksu for 15 years. It's made a difference, according to Jin Shihua, a deputy director of Minhang.

Jin first went to Aksu in July 2002, arriving as a well-intentioned city slicker bent on good works. Three years later, when he left, his pale urban complexion had turned to bronze and his body had taken on a new robustness.

"I have led trips taking more than 50 Shanghai officials to Xinjiang, and we have done more than 200 projects there valued at about 105 million yuan (US$16.7 million)," he said.

The projects have included the "Spring Buds Program" that gave 1,000 girls from poor families the tuition to continue school, and "Bright Action" that has aided 1,000 cataract patients.

There was also "Bright Project," which installed solar lighting systems in the homes of 1,000 families who had been relying on oil lamps, and the "Shanghai Anti-Quake Housing Project," which moved 400 families from dilapidated housing into new residential buildings.

Some of the projects are ongoing. The Shanghai Charity Foundation every year provides free cataract operations for needy Xinjiang seniors.

The residents of Aksu have been grateful for the help, often in touching ways.

In 2005, a nine-year-old Uyghur boy living in Aksu said he wanted to give Jin a present, according to a local newspaper report. The boy had lost his parents and lived with a grandfather who couldn't afford education for the boy. Jin provided tuition and living expenses for the young lad.

"People told me Jin was an official and wouldn't accept gifts, but I still want to give him this," the boy told the newspaper, pulling a school report card from his pocket.

Minhang people have also helped improve Aksu's economic and cultural development. Li Jianhua, director of Meilong Town in Minhang, once worked in the merchant bureau in Aksu.

He found that Aksu was rich in oil, coal and mineral resources. So he helped Aksu officials participate in a major economic promotion fair in Shanghai that eventually led to four joint projects with investment totaling 320 million yuan.

In Wensu County of Aksu, Minhang assistance turned the local TV station from one 15-minute news broadcast a day to 16 hours of daily broadcasting and attracted 890,000 yuan worth of advertising for the station.

In 2010, the development aid focus shifted to another part of Xinjiang and Shanghai was paired with four counties in Kashgar near China's western border with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Minhang and Yangpu districts were designated to aid Poskam County.

Poskam already had a bond with Shanghai. In 1963, a group of Shanghai students studying forestry went to Poskam to work. They brought with them the seeds of oriental plane trees from Shanghai. Today the trees rise up more than 10 meters high and have become a popular landmark in Poskam.

However, one of the biggest success stories in Poskam has been the transformation of Changzhou Village from an economically deprived town into a tourist resort.

More than 95 percent of the village residents are from the Uyghur minority, who once eke out a living from forestry and fruit growing.

Today in the village, poverty has been eased. Most families own small hotels, restaurants and shops catering to visitors.

The original beauty of the village has not been destroyed in the process. The local stream still runs clear, and picturesque grape vines still burst with juicy fruit.

Medical care has also been transformed.

The first group of Minhang doctors dispatched to Poskam finished their tour of duty in June after passing their skills on to local doctors and setting up a modern medical framework for their work.

Zhuang Yuzhong, deputy director of the radiology department of Shanghai No. 5 People's Hospital in Minhang, began working in the Poskam People's Hospital two years ago. The hospital there now has 360 doctors, nurses and other technical staff, about half of whom were recruited in the past three years.

"The mass recruitment matched the needs of the local community," said Zhuang.

The hospital is now capable of examinations, diagnoses and surgeries previously unavailable in the county, he said.

A new online medical care system will be established in Poskam to track the health of all residents.

Minhang's dedication to Xinjiang is not a story of superheroes. Those who have helped in the program are just common people who share with Xinjiang residents some of the same travails of daily living.

Zhuang is just one example. Though he is reticent to talk about himself, colleagues and friends said his wife had to quit her job when he went to Xinjiang so that she could take care of elderly relatives at home. He also had to have polyps removed from his chest before going to Poskam.

"We just do our job and fulfill our duties," said Chen Dongfa, a deputy director of Minhang who is responsible for commerce, tourism and cultural development in Poskam. "So when the media contact us, we always want them to write the changes in Poskam and not about us."

Aksu Prefecture

Aksu Prefecture, is a western oasis in Xinjiang that covers an area of 14,668 square kilometers. Aksu means "white water" in the Uyghur language, a name that refers to the bracing waters of local streams in otherwise high desert county.

Some 36 ethnic minorities comprise the local population of 2.4 million, with about 72 percent of residents ethnic minority Uyghurs.

The local economy is mainly agricultural, with cotton a major crop. The area also produces grains, fruits, oils and beets. Industry in the prefecture mostly centers around weaving, cement and chemicals.

The capital, also called Aksu, is a forestry center. About two-fifth of the city is forested or in other vegetation.

Aksu was historically a stop along on the Old Silk Road that linked China and Europe.

Poskam County

Poskam County in Kashgar Prefecture occupies 985 square kilometers and has a population of more than 180,000. It was an important stop along the Old Silk Road in ancient China.

Poskam means "rich land" in the Uyghur language. The name aptly describes the beauty of the area's lakes, trees and central Asian architecture.

Although a predominately agricultural area, the county is developing oil production, cotton cultivation and construction materials manufacturing.