A groundbreaking afforestation project in the mountains to the north and south of Lhasa, the first large-scale tree planting initiative in the history of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has transformed once-barren hills into a thriving green barrier since its launch in 2021.

Dawa Yangdron, one of the earliest builders of the project, has led her team at Xizang's largest native seedling breeding base, where they are dedicated to growing indigenous trees.

Here, seeds break through the soil, saplings stretch skyward and in time grow into towering trees, bringing ever more green to the mountains of Lhasa.