Earth Day was celebrated with an impressive tree-planting event in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China on April 21, a day before the official date of this global occasion held to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  

Taking place in the Elion Eco-Restoration Demonstration Area, Hobq Desert, the first Green Economy Innovation Base in the Inner Mongolia, the tree-planting event is a joint project of Hanggin Banner Government and the Elion Foundation. It operates under the guidance of the Department of Ecology and Environment and the Administration of Forestry and Grassland of the Inner Mongolia, and seeks to raise people’s awareness of protecting the natural resources. 

The tree-planting event attracted more than 2,000 participants who planted more than 10,000 trees. Elion Foundation demonstrated the company’s advanced planting techniques, including minimally invasive air pressure planting and drone planting. After completing their tree planting, the participants sang the patriotic song My Motherland and I to the accompaniment of Mongol stringed instruments, expressing their love for their country and determination to protect the environment and afforest deserts. 

The Hobq Desert is the seventh largest desert in China, with a total area of 18,600 square km. Over the past 30 years, more than 6,000 square km of the desert has been reclaimed thanks to the joint efforts of government, enterprises and local residents. Since 2005, the Elion Foundation has mobilized a total of over 100,000 people from all walks of life in planting trees on the Earth Day. In December 2018, Elion Eco-Restoration Demonstration Area was recognized by the Chinese Government as a national Green Economy Innovation Base.