Lookingintothedistancefromhisbackyard,GaoEryunseesaviewfullofvitality.Herdsofgoatsgrazeonthegrasslandandcornstalksgrowastallasaperson.Butover30yearsago,hishome,GuanjingVillage鈥攍ocatedontheedgeoftheKubuqiDesertinOrdos,northChina鈥檚InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion鈥攚ascoveredwithsand.Thepersonwhomadethetransformationpossiblewashisfather,GaoLinshu.
Backinthe1980s,Guanjingwasplaguedbyfrequentsandstorms,makingitalmostimpossibletogrowcrops.Mostofthevillagerslefthometoearnaliving.
Buttheyear1986wasaturningpoint.Afterobtainingthelanduserightsto53hectaresofsandyland,GaoLinshudecidedtoplanttrees.Followingfiveyearsofhardworkbytheentirefamily,vegetationgrewandthesoilconditionimproved.Todate,GaoLinshuandhisfamilyhaveplantedtreescoveringatotalof333hectares.
Bygrowingandsellingoil-seedcrops,Gao鈥檚familybecamethefirsthouseholdtoreach10,000yuan($1,461)insavings.Thepracticewasreplicatedbyhisfellowvillagersandanumberofthembegantoplanttreesoncontractedsandlands.
TodayalmosttwothirdsofthelandinGuanjingisafforested.Thetree-plantingcampaignhashelpedrestorelocalecology,boostproductionandliftpeople鈥檚livingstandards.Currently,hisfamily鈥檚netincomeexceeds150,000yuan($21,922).
Now80yearsold,GaoLinshuhaspassedonhisgreeninglegacytohisson.Apartfrommanagingfarmlandandraisinggoats,GaoEryunhasalsoservedasaforestranger,protectingthefruitsofthevillagers鈥檒aborforthepastthreedecades.
(PhotosbyXinhuaNewsAgency)
CopyeditedbyRebecaToledoCommentsto1.GaoEryun,fromGuanjingVillageinOrdos,northChina鈥檚InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,cutsdowndeadbranchesandleaves
2.GaoEryunherdsgoatsonagrasslandnearhisbackyardonJuly22
3.GaoLinshu,80,sitsathomeonJuly10
4.GaoEryuntrimstreesonJuly21