On the 12th, people in Shannan City, China's Xizang, worked together to plant trees.They planted over 60,000 saplings in the sandy soil, bringing new greenery to the north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River.

The north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River is a severely desertified land in Shannan City. In the 1980s, Xizang began to construct a shelterbelt to control wind and sand, and eventually built a hundred-mile ecological corridor.To continue the ecological restoration work along the Yarlung Zangbo River, on Chinese Arbor Day in 2025, Shannan City planned an afforestation project about 250,000 m² on the north bank of the river, where over 60,000 stress-resistant saplings such as Tibetan poplar, Chinese juniper, and bungeana pine would be planted.

This year's voluntary tree-planting event added a special activity, where individuals, families, and organizations can pledge to saplings cultivated by the Shannan Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Each pledged tree would be registered and tagged.

Wang Dan, Deputy Chief of the Ecological Restoration Section of the Shannan City, said that the pledge activity has inspired enthusiasm among the masses for ecological protection. "Next year, we will expand the scope of the activity to attract more people to join in this green cause."

Zhu Zhilin, who just started working last year, participated in the tree-planting for the first time. "I didn't expect it to be so difficult to dig holes and plant trees in the sandy soil," she said. Looking at the rows of newly planted saplings, Zhu Zhilin added, "It's the fruit of unity and cooperation. I hope these saplings can guard the Yarlung Zangbo River in the future."

The north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River is characterized by strong winds, sandstorms, and poor soil, making it difficult to plant trees. Samten Norbu, Director of the Shannan Forestry and Grassland Bureau, said that they would ensure the preservation of the saplings.

Translator: Peng Qing, Liu Fang

Review: Hu Rongguo, Dong Xiuli