Euphrates poplars, sometimes called guardians of the desert, are ubiquitous in West China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, especially in areas where water is scarce. The drought-enduring trees are one of the few that can survive in the desert. However, many of these trees, no matter how tough they are, are dying due to the lack of rain. CGTN's Li Jianhua caught up with a man who has spent much of his life protecting these trees as the desert expands.