Lanxian County is one of the areas most hit by water loss and soil erosion in north China's Shanxi Province. The precipitation there is low, thus the vegetation has quite a low survival rate. Given these conditions, the villagers there grow sandthorn, as it can improve the soil, block the wind and fix the sand. And it is by working in these sandthorn fields that many households were lifted out of poverty.

Since 2017, sandthorn industry cooperatives have been set up in the county and over 5,000 people who are able to work and from poor households were recruited. Lanxian County was no longer a national poverty stricken county in 2019. By 2020, more than 1,300 hectares of sandthorns were planted on the reclaimed farmland, and the average annual income of the villagers has reached 10,000 yuan by participating in the sandthorn-related industries.

About 'Revival in the Mountains'

Ecological migration is an important targeted poverty alleviation measure in China. This series selects key ecological migration and relocation projects in Qinghai, Gansu and Fujian provinces and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to take you through China's poverty alleviation work.

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 16: A green future

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 17: Trees on the rock

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 18：Golden hometown

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 19：Green home

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 20：A connection to the woods

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 21: Home in Longwangba

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 22: Money trees

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 23: Village of happiness

Revival in the Mountains | Episode 24: Embrace the spring

(Cover photo via screenshot; video filmed and edited by CGTN Nature's filming crew)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)