Prior to the 1990s, the city of Ordos was the underdog of Inner Mongolia on all counts. Almost half of its territory was desert, 29 percent was prairie land and 19 percent was barren hills. Plagued by severe soil erosion, sandstorms and drought, of the city's seven banners (county-level administrative divisions) and one district, five were below the national poverty line. Much has changed since then. In 2006, the city's GDP hit RMB 80 billion, and income per capita stood at US $6,600. All eight banners and the district reported revenues exceeding RMB 100 million. Two actually topped all in the autonomous region. What caused these dramatic changes? Ordos Party Secretary Yun Feng elaborates on the city's secrets of success in an interview with China Today.