Forestry pioneer's Horqin sand battle pays off for village

Whenever talk turns to Dong Fucai, people describe him as a "Mongolian pine tree".

Dong, 62, who died from liver cancer on March 21, was for 20 years dedicated to forestry planting to halt the spread of sand in Beidianzi, a village in Fuxin, Liaoning province.

The village lies at the edge of an area known as Horqin sand. Fifty years ago, the environment was seriously affected by strong winds and sandstorms.