Hagihan, 75, lives with his son Yeerkin in a residential area in Altay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. After he quit farming, Yeerkin became a driver and paid about 40,000 yuan to move into an 90-squre-meter apartment.

According to the propaganda department of Altay, the city invested 43.60 million yuan to build a residential neighbourhood for herdsmen. After 300 households moved in, the local government allocated 96 million yuan to build the second phase of the neighbourhood as well as encouraging herdsmen seek other ways to increase their income.

Herdsman Yeerkin shows off his new place in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Nov 19, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]

Herdsman Yeerkin drinks milk tea with family in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Nov 19, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]