Massive tree-planting effort transforms barren mountains in SW China's Xizang

A once-barren mountainous area plagued by sand and dust is transforming into green terrain in Gonggar county, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, thanks to a massive tree-planting effort.

A maintenance worker waters a tree in Gonggar county, Shannan city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tsering Norbu)

"This place used to be completely barren. When the wind blew, sand would hit your face," said Sonam, a villager standing on a slope once desolate but now covered with greenery.

"After five months of work, everywhere we look is green. The air quality has improved. It's no longer so dry, and our quality of life is much better," he said.

Sonam works as an afforestation worker in Zone 11 of the Gonggar section of the afforestation project in the mountains to the north and south of Lhasa, the regional capital.

He has mastered high-altitude tree-planting techniques while securing stable employment near home. "I can take my children to school in the morning and still care for my elderly family members and livestock. My whole family strongly supports me working here," he said.

According to zone supervisor Jin Hui, most of the project technicians come from other provinces and bring advanced planting and management expertise. The team includes people from Tibetan, Yi, Hui, Manchu and other ethnic backgrounds.

The zone has completed all afforestation work with a seedling survival rate of 91 percent.

A view of the Gonggar section of the afforestation project in the mountains to the north and south of Lhasa in Gonggar county, Shannan city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tsering Norbu)

At nearby Zone 3, project leader Qi Pengfei and his team have overcome the challenges of planting trees in high-altitude sandy soil.

Qi's team faced drought, poor soil, water shortages and transportation challenges. They responded with water-saving irrigation technology, improved soil using organic fertilizer and water retention agents, and developed a transportation system that combines sand vehicles, drones and workers.

"We don't just want to plant trees that survive; we want them to thrive and last," Qi said. His team has trained more than 30 Tibetan maintenance workers, who now earn an average monthly income of 8,000 yuan ($1,119).

The Gonggar section of the tree-planting project is now complete.

"We will continue to monitor tree conditions," said Pasang Dorje, director of Gonggar county's forestry and grassland bureau. "In the past, when people mentioned Shannan, their impression was always of sand and dust. In the future, I hope to see a green corridor stretching more than 100 kilometers from Gonggar to Tsethang and Lhasa."

A view of the Gonggar section of the afforestation project in the mountains to the north and south of Lhasa in Gonggar county, Shannan city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tsering Norbu)

The project has planted trees across 29,000 mu (1,933 hectares) in the Gonggar section, created more than 110,000 employment opportunities for local residents, and generated 32.39 million yuan in additional income.