Zhao said the then government officials planned to battle sandstorms with plantations. "But it was very hard. Planting trees was not easy due to lack of proper infrastructure like irrigating systems. Even if we succeeded in planting, it is still hard for trees to survive because the land was severely deteriorated at that time," Zhao said.

Zhao said government officials, together with forestry technicians and workers, have spared no effort in experimenting and planting trees.

Youyu's years of efforts have finally borne fruit. The survival rate of trees in Youyu grew from 50 percent in the 70s to over 85 percent today.

Youyu's greening also helped improve soil conditions. The increasingly rich soil has allowed various trees to grow successfully there. Zhao said in the past there were a few plant types, but today there are nearly 48 types of trees grown in Youyu.