From $5,000 to a forest: A China-US friendship witnessed by the Maowusu Sandy Land

"The important thing is many people have seen this story, and now they can also help to make China beautiful," said Ronald Sakolsky, a retired U.S. teacher, after reuniting with his friend Yin Yuzhen, a Chinese woman who has spent decades fighting desertification.

Back in 1999, while teaching English in central China's Henan Province, Sakolsky was deeply moved by Yin's tireless work and raised $5,000 to help Yin and her husband combat desertification in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Today, the saplings planted with these funds have grown into over 50,000 mature trees across the Maowusu Sandy Land, the fourth largest sandy area in China.