'Father Mountain' recovers from mining past

Towering more than 3,500 meters, Helan Mountain is revered as the "Father Mountain" by locals in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. It serves as a natural barrier to the vast desert to its west and protects the fertile land in the region.

However, exploitation in recent years of the mountain's rich natural resources - including coal, iron and magnesium - has severely damaged the natural environment and ecology in the area, which prompted local governments to take measures to remedy and restore sites.

The battle started in early 2017, when the regional government inspected all sites touched by humans in the Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve, including cemeteries, mining sites, tourism facilities and abandoned mines.