Paradise Regained

Saihanba is a pictureque ecotourism destination in Hebei Province
Workers transport nursery stock on June 30, 2009
Qi Shuyan, a “fire guard”, watches the forest farm while her husband, Liu Jun, also a fire guard, jots down her observations, on July 15. Since the Saihanba Jixie Forest Farm was built 55 years, there have been nearly 20 fire guard couples whose work is to monitor to area for signs of a fire
Field staff collect research data on July 16

Clear blue skies, emerald-green woods and refreshing creeks and rivers. From a wasteland to an eco-progress exemplar, Saihanba has been resurrected, providing a green lung for north China. The largest man-made forest in the world is also a testimony to the planners and planters who toiled for more than five decades to achieve the feat. The goal is to leave a bluer sky, greener mountains and clearer water for the future world.

(Photos by Xinhua)

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar

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