China is making new achievements in eco-restoration by planting trees at Saihanba National Forest Park in Chengde City of north Hebei Province.

Most of these trees are planted on dry and rocky mountains, in an effort to revitalize the forest.

The forest is located in an alpine region at an altitude ranging from 1,010-1,940 meters. Few trees can survive here on the sunny, hot slopes, but that’s changing – thanks to improved planting techniques. Most of these trees were planted here after four or five years of growth at nearby nurseries.

Zeng Limin has been working as a forester in the national forest park for 21 years; but he is now in-charge of a challenging project, i.e. planting trees on the sunny slopes that mostly rock.

“There are too many rocks, but it barely has any soil. The thickest layer of soil is 16 centimeters here, but the thinnest layer is less than 10 centimeters,” said Zeng.

Mongolian scotch pines can’t sustain growth in such a harsh environment as it’s here on these mountains. These trees were actually developed in a special way – in nursery garden.

Yu Shitao is a specialist in seedling growth at this nursery garden. He’s the father of many trees in the park. However, he’s very strict with his children. He never lets his trees grow in cozy greenhouses.

“Trees from other places couldn’t adjust to the cold environment. The wind is strong and the weather is dry, so the success rate of planting trees here is low,” said Yu Shitao, director of Qiancengban Tree Farm at Saihanba National Forest Park.

Yu only chooses the strongest seedlings to plant on the rocky slopes. He also has shared his experiences and trees with specialists in other alpine regions of China. That’s in hopes that those regions one day will also be covered with lush green carpets like that in Saihanba.