(100 great changes) Saihanba, China's 'Green miracle'

Sixty years after the establishment of the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm, a new generation of forest rangers is starting a new chapter.

Walking in this lush forest, can you imagine that it was a vast barren land sixty years ago?

Located in North China’s Hebei province, Saihanba had been a grassland before wars and wild fires gradually changed it into a desert.

To protect north China against the sandstorms, the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm was established in 1962. A group of 369 people from all over the country came here to afforest the wasteland in harsh environments.

Three generations of forest rangers have transformed Saihanba into the world’s largest man-made forest, which covers an area of over 760 square kilometers, creating a “green miracle”.

Since 2017, foresters have been trying to plant trees on rocky mountain slopes where the topsoil is very thin. Facing the challenges with perseverance, they’ve created over 67 square kilometers of forest, building a green paradise.

In September 2021, the farm was granted the UN’s Land for Life Award, the highest reward regarding land conservation and restoration.

Today, the locals are carrying forward the Saihanba spirit, developing a green economy through ecotourism and other sustainable approaches. By 2030, there will be 800 square kilometers of forest area here, with the forest coverage rate achieving 86 percent.

Saihanba is embracing a new era of green development!