China is still a major polluter, yet it is also witnessing a genuine green transformation. The government has launched a rapid reforestation initiative across its vast landscapes, turning deserts into expansive green areas. The country adds about 50,000 square kilometers of forest each year, and in the last five years, roughly 70,000 million euros have been invested in these efforts.
Saihanba is a district in the northern part of Hebei Province. It spans about 200 square kilometers as a large forest park. Sixty years ago it lay in ruin and desert, scarred by overexploitation of forests and the severe sandstorms that have haunted the region since the 17th century.
Authorities shifted course and, in mid-1962, granted the green light to a reforestation project in the Saihanba area. The ambition was bold: to create a vital vegetal lung for northern China.
Chinese citizens plant trees
In time, Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm emerged as the backbone of a plan to transform the area into a green sanctuary. Three generations of foresters coordinated an effort that began with 369 workers reclaiming more than 20,000 hectares. Early results were modest, and strategies required adjustment. Yet persistence paid off, yielding the first tangible successes only after a careful, iterative process.
The world’s largest artificial forest
This managed forest became a cornerstone of the Sustainable China initiative supported by the government. More than 618 species, including 312 genera of vascular plants, were planted within the forest park.
Climatic conditions posed major hurdles. Winters bring frosts down to minus 43 degrees Celsius, while warm days are brief. To overcome these challenges, foresters developed advanced cultivation techniques. Survival rates grew from about 8 percent in the early years to near 98 percent in later stages.
Saihanba today sees 80 percent vegetation that helps protect and purify roughly 137 million cubic meters of water annually according to government data. The Chinese Academy of Forestry notes that the forest farm sequesters more than 860,000 tons of CO2 and releases around 600,000 tons of oxygen each year.
In 2017, the United Nations recognized the man-made forest with a World Champions Award, acknowledging its role in restoring degraded landscapes. The Chinese president expressed pride in the work and urged continued protection of Saihanba as part of a broader ecological mission.
Growing a green banner for the nation
While Saihanba stands as a landmark, it is only a part of a much larger effort. The country has pursued expansive reforestation since the early 2000s, aiming to transform China into an eco-friendly civilization and to restore forests in regions hit hard by extreme weather since the 1990s.
Woodland in China
Environmental policy has moved from a national concern to a central state project. With vast areas once drifting toward desert, forests now cover about one-fifth of the land, according to official data. By 2020, nearly a quarter of the country’s land was green, equating roughly 20 million hectares. Analysts say forest cover could reach a quarter in time, with associated reductions in carbon emissions and significant water savings.
Investment in afforestation has totaled about 70,000 million euros over the last five years. Sanctions on firms involved in deforestation are increasing. No other nation has recovered as much green space this century, yet China still leads in CO2 emissions and still has large arid regions, underscoring the work ahead.
Progress continues to show. In Beijing, for example, the risk of spring sandstorms has fallen considerably over the last decade, a sign that dedicated forest projects are delivering tangible benefits. Artificial forests contribute to these improvements as well.
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