Mu Us Desert transformed: Locals fight desertification

A photo taken in September 2021 shows Guo Chengwang planting a sapling next to his house. /CGTN

A photo taken in September 2021 shows Guo Chengwang planting a sapling next to his house. /CGTN

A photo taken in September 2021 shows Guo Jianjun planting trees with other residents. /CGTN

Mu Us Desert was once a barren land plagued by sandstorms. Over the years, many people have actively engaged in combating desertification here, including the locals of Jingbian County, the first county in Shaanxi Province to curb the discharging of silt into the Yellow River.

In the 1980s, Mu Us Desert in Jingbian County was engulfed by sand. At 63, Guo Chengwang started the arduous journey of planting trees with his family to prevent desertification.

Guo Jianjun, grandson of Guo Chengwang, joined his grandfather in planting trees in the 1990s. Through decades of hard work, Guo Chengwang and his family have turned 3,000 hectares of desert green.