Greening the Desert
Minqin County, located in the city of Wuwei in Gansu Province, is between China’s third and fourth largest deserts—the Badain Jaran and the Tengger. Local people plant suosuo trees, a plant that can survive in the desert, to prevent further desertification (沙漠化).
A number of local people have worked hard to turn the place into an oasis (绿洲). 27-year-old Zhong Lin is one of them. Growing up in Minqin, Zhong experienced sandstorms throughout his childhood. He once wanted to run away from his hometown and build his future in southern China.
However, he changed his mind when he saw the villagers’ hard life and the terrible environment there. He said, “Suddenly I understood—running away isn’t the solution. Making a difference is the key.” After graduating from university in 2020, Zhong returned to his hometown. “If suosuo trees can take root in sandstorms, why can’t young people?” he wrote in his diary.
Since then, Zhong has tried planting suosuo trees in the desert. He planted 500 trees in 2021, but most of them died. So he studied, learned from experienced villagers, and then planted more. After three years’ efforts, the trees he planted are now growing well in the desert, turning the land green and lively.
To draw attention to his hometown’s environment, Zhong shared videos about tree planting online and started a “Please Plant a Tree in Minqin” activity. Encouraged by Zhong’s tree-planting story, more and more volunteers from all over the country have come to Minqin to plant trees. Their common goal is to turn the desert into an oasis.