Afforestation turns barren ravine into green oasis

To further promote the enduring spirit, the Youyu Spirit Exhibition Hall was established in 2013, covering an area of nearly 1,600 square meters.

Centered on the theme of transforming Youyu's landscape through afforestation, the exhibition employs various forms of media such as graphics, videos, physical displays and a 4D cinema, attracting over 500,000 visitors.

One of the most poignant items in the exhibition hall is an oil lamp shaped like an ink bottle. Next to it, photos on display showcase the stark contrast between the past scenes of yellow sandstorms and the present lush forests.

The exhibition hall's curator, Li Gongyuan, explained, "The ink bottle-shaped oil lamp and matches were essential items for children studying back then. They relied on these oil lamps for reading and learning. That scene is now a thing of the past."

Today, Youyu is vigorously nurturing forest tourism and forest health industries, establishing the largest domestic horse breeding base in operation and the largest youth football training base in North China.

Besides, they are actively developing a 1 billion yuan ($140 million) sheep industry and a 500 million yuan sea buckthorn industry chain.

Last year, the county welcomed 6.22 million visitors from home and abroad, generating tourism revenue of 3.58 billion yuan.

Wang Zhanfeng's unwavering efforts have garnered recognition from various quarters, earning him honors such as the "Shanxi Province Watershed Governance Model" and the "Shanxi Province May 1 Labor Medal" in recent years.

"Youyu people understand trees. Without afforestation, this place would have long succumbed to sandstorms," Wang said. "To me, the Youyu spirit means afforestation, and it must continue steadfastly."

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn