Yellow River goes green to get clean

Rural vitalization

In addition to cleaning up the mountains and improving the river, its banks and water quality, the "green revolution" has promoted local economic growth.

Data on the National Forestry and Grassland Administration's website show that Yan'an had more than 253,000 hectares of apple cultivation areas in 2019, with annual output of more than 3 million tons and output value of 13 billion yuan ($2 billion).

That year, the output value of peppers and dried goods, such as walnuts and dates, reached 1.3 billion yuan, while that of the forest economy was 120 million yuan, the website said.

The policy of returning farmland to forests has also lifted Yan'an's villagers out of poverty.

In 2014, Zanjiashan, Lan Fengcheng's village, was relocated from the valley to flatland. It now stands about 6 kilometers from the scenic area around the waterfall, which is a major tourist attraction.

"The villagers have earned more money, some by going outside as migrant workers and others by planting trees in the village. When they found the sky had turned blue and the environment had improved, many decided to return home and start their own businesses," said Lan Tiangang, 60, a former head of the village committee.

"To provide them with a sound business environment, I negotiated with colleagues and decided to move our village closer to the scenic area, where they could open homestays and restaurants to attract more tourists to visit the waterfall."

Lan Fengcheng said: "All the efforts to return the farmland to forests have been worthwhile. We've beautified our home, and now we live better lives."