Reunited after 26 years: Chinese woman finally finds the American who helped her green the desert

When Yin Yuzhen finally reunited with Robert Sakolsky, she burst into tears. 

On Sunday, Yin, a Chinese woman who spent four decades battling desertification in the Mu Us Desert, reconnected with an American teacher she had spent 26 years searching for, at Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In 1999, Sakolsky, a history teacher from Pittsburgh, came to China to teach English at the Luoyang Foreign Language School in Henan Province.

While still in China, he came across a TV program that introduced Yin's efforts to turn the desert green by planting trees.

Deeply moved by her mission, Sakolsky decided to help in his own way. He reached out to organizations back in the United States and raised $5,000 to support her cause. He then visited Yin's home in 2000, and was shocked by what he saw: no machines, only the most basic tools, such as iron shovels and carrying poles.

At that moment, a friendship that has spanned decades and transcended national borders was planted.

Yin's decision to turn desert into forest

In 1985, the 19-year-old Yin Yuzhen moved from Shaanxi Province to Wushen Banner in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, to marry.

She did not anticipate the harsh realities of her new home – a barren desert stretching to no end and a house half-buried in the sand. The environment challenged the possibility of survival.

Strong winds blew sand into her dwelling, coating everything in a thick layer overnight. Sand would also pile up against the door, sometimes sealing it shut and leaving her in constant fear that her home and her life would be swallowed by the desert.

But Yin did not give in.

"I'd rather die planting trees than die being bullied by the desert," Yin swore, determined to change her life and the surroundings with her own hands.

She began a staunch effort to transform the desert into a forest, despite the obstacles.

Lack of water, electricity and roads made everything more difficult.

In a phone interview with CGTN, Yin said hunger was a constant companion. When she had nothing to eat, Yin would take a deep breath to fill her stomach and repeatedly swallow saliva to ease the hunger.

Nevertheless, she worked hard on an empty stomach, carrying up to 100 kilograms of tree saplings on her bent back as she climbed up the dunes.

"I have eaten things people don't eat, and endured sufferings even animals are spared from," Yin said of those early days, reflecting on the hardships she went through.

What the donation meant to Yin

Sakolsky's donation to Yin was like water in the desert – it gave her a chance to succeed. She first used the money to buy tree saplings and equipment for tree planting, the biggest challenge she faced at the time.

When she cashed out the donation that was transferred to China from the bank, she was traveling to Beijing to attend an event. Sharing a room with someone else, she hid the envelope between her stomach and her clothes at night.

"It was a thin envelope," Yin recalled. "It didn't feel like a lot of money." But when she exchanged the US dollars for renminbi, she was stunned by the amount she received. "I had never seen so much money, and didn't expect it to be worth so much," Yin said, quickly putting aside one bill to preserve the memory.

Before receiving the donation, Yin could only buy small saplings with a survival rate of less than 10%, but with the funds raised by Sakolsky, she was able to buy taller and stronger saplings that were not so easily crushed by sandstorms.

At the time, $5,000 was 20 years of income for Yin, but her focus was only on the desert. "All I could think about was trees, nothing else," she said with determination. Over time, she became a mother not just to her own children, but to every tree she planted. Her deep bond with the lives she nurtured kept her deeply rooted in the desert.

"People will probably find my life hard to imagine," Yin said. "But where would my home be if I gave up?"

Looking for Sakolsky

Sakolsky's help came at a crucial moment, and Yin's gratitude for him remains strong to this day. She was touched by the kindness and care he showed to a stranger from another country. After Sakolsky left China, she looked for him wherever she went.

In recent years, Yin has been taking photos of the Mu Us Desert to show Sakolsky how it has transformed, and how she turned what seemed impossible into reality. The more she saw the trees growing green, the more she thought of the person who helped make it possible.

"I just want to prove to him that Chinese people have integrity," Yin said simply. "We keep our word, and our actions are real, not just for show."

Yin's wish finally came true this year.

In May, Yin posted a video on Douyin, Chinese TikTok, looking for Sakolsky. The video soon went viral, and people found Sakolsky within 48 hours. Hearing the news, Yin wept with joy.

"I am only someone who plants trees, but I received so much help from so many people," Yin said.

The reunion

Yin and Sakolsky both burst into tears when they met again after 26 years. 

After traveling more than 30 hours from the United States and connecting via Beijing, Sakolsky could not hold back his tears the moment he saw Yin waiting for him at Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport. He said he still found it hard to believe that the reunion had finally happened. "This is a dream come true," he said. "I never thought I would see her again. It is a miracle."

The mutual appreciation fostered and strengthened the friendship between the two, even when they were living in separate countries. They never stopped telling people what they found special about the other person. For Yin, it was Sakolsky's generosity and readiness to help others, and for Sakolsky, it was Yin's perseverance and dedication, changing the environment with her own hands.

When interviewed over the past few months, Sakolsky has said repeatedly that Yin is the true hero of the story, not him. He told his students in America about Yin every year, spreading her story to future generations across the Pacific Ocean. "She is an amazing lady. She has done many things for China," Sakolsky said with Yin standing next to him.

Speaking about their reunion, Sakolsky said it offered a window for people in China and the US to learn more about each other and see the possibilities for cooperation between the two countries, which can ultimately create something beautiful for the entire world.

"It proves how beautiful the Chinese people are, and that we as Americans need to open our minds to see this, and the Chinese people need to open their minds and see that Americans are also beautiful people," Sakolsky said. "Together we can do something very good for this earth."