Meet the man who helped turn Matou Mountain green

Once barren with over 70 percent of its land an arid desert, Youyu county of Shanxi province has been turned into a thriving oasis and the subject of oil paintings, thanks to seven decades of strenuous human effort.

In Youyu, many have devoted themselves to the cause of afforestation. Li Yunsheng, 63, is one of them. As of this year, Li has devoted 16 years of his life to planting trees and his beloved Matou Mountain.

The Matou Mountain is located in the northern part of Youyu county, reaching an altitude of 1,800 meters. On the mountain slope lies the Matoushan village, where Li Yunsheng was born and raised.