Ji Guangxia's Green Perseverance: Planting Ten Million Trees in Seven Years

    Seven years ago, 28-year-old Ji Guangxia, a young woman from Shandong, married into the old Du family of Guoenhe Village, Tengke Town, Morin Dawa Banner. Within a few years, relying on her outstanding courage and keen vision, she threw herself into afforestation on a large scale, planting ten million trees in seven years. Not only did she repay a 3 million yuan loan, she also earned more than 2 million yuan. 

    When Ji Guangxia first joined the Du family, the nearly 200 hectares of contracted farmland had suffered from years of soil erosion and desertification, and although investment was increased year after year, grain yields still declined year after year. Having loved thinking things through since childhood, she suddenly had the idea of returning farmland to forest. She discussed her ideas repeatedly with the Du family and finally reached an agreement. No sooner said than done: she carefully studied market demand, learned tree-planting experience from books, and led the whole family in the arduous venture of afforestation. More than seven years of effort were not in vain. After 850 mu of land was returned to forest, nearly 10 million saplings, including larch, Zhang pine and fir, were planted. Since 2004, she began selling her own saplings, and by now more than 800,000 have been sold, bringing in 2 million yuan. The villagers say that the Du family's more than 10 million saplings are now like "interest" in a bank, rolling and multiplying upward. 

    Ji Guangxia, who grew rich first through afforestation, has not forgotten her fellow villagers. She is now thinking of setting up a tree-planting team in the village to pass on the experience in planting trees and growing saplings that she has gained over many years, so that more people can plant more trees and restore the clear waters and blue skies of their hometown.