Xinjiang's Bounty Ep 3: A Watery Oasis for Crab Farming

Autumn has arrived – and with it, the crab season. Some of the meatiest, sweetest shells on Shanghai tables are hatched 4,000 kilometers away in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In Tumshuke, turquoise ponds glint on the city's edge, but the real magic is a cross-provincial partnership. Farmers raise the crabs with seedlings and feed provided by their Shanghai partners; water samples are sent to Shanghai for regular quality checks.

The harvest starts in late September and peaks in October, when most of the full, rich crabs are air-shipped straight back to Shanghai for sale.