Wang Zizhong, a 78-year-old farmer from Ciyu village in Shandong province, has devoted the past 42 years of his life to greening mountains and protecting forests alongside his 55-year-old son, Wang Tao.

Their unwavering dedication has transformed the barren mountains near their village into lush green landscapes, demonstrating Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and showing that the concept of green development is increasingly taking root in people's hearts.

In 1983, Wang Zizhong gazed upon the barren hills to the north of Ciyu and started thinking about planting trees on the desolate land. The lack of vegetation and severe soil erosion on the mountains had greatly impacted the livelihoods of the villagers.

He made the bold decision to leave his job as a rural teacher, rented the land from the local government and took on the task of greening the barren hills.

He led his family up the mountains, settling in a stone cave to begin the arduous journey of planting trees.

At that time, he and his wife left their two teenage sons in the cave while the couple dug holes for the trees on the slopes. Due to the lack of roads, Wang Zizhong had to carry sacks of seedlings on his shoulders up the mountains, walking several kilometers to fetch water.

Each load could only water seven or eight trees, requiring dozens of trips each day.

The family would stay on the mountains for over a month at a time, sleeping on makeshift beds in the stone cave, surviving on water from the mountain streams and simple meals of pancakes and pickled vegetables.

As the pancakes hardened over time, Wang Zizhong would soak them in water to make them easier to eat.