For 45 years, paralyzed man planted trees

Over the past 45 years, farmer Fu Benfa has planted innumerable trees on barren mountains near Qilita village in Suizhou, Hubei province.

The task would have been a challenge for an able-bodied person, let alone a person with extensive paralysis.

Fu, 65, was paralyzed in an accident during the construction of a water conservancy project in January 1978.

"At the beginning, I really couldn't accept the truth that I would never stand up," he said. "To get over the boredom, I could only listen to broadcasts. I had to stay in bed."

Publicity about green development through measures such as expanding forests in the province caught his attention. He got the idea that he might be able to contribute.

"I remembered when I was a child that the mountains around our village were covered by dense forest, but almost all the trees had been cut down for various reasons," he said. "I decided to plant trees on the barren mountains, which not only helped change the environment of the village, but also brought value to my life."

Fu's parents strongly disagreed because of his poor physical condition. But he insisted. His father finally acquiesced and made him a special shovel and straw mat.

In the winter of 1978, Fu came to a barren mountain with the help of crutches and began the task that would occupy him for decades. He sat on the mat and tried to dig a hole in which to plant a tree, but he failed to finish it after working all day.

He didn't give up, however, and tried various kinds of movements until he became more efficient. Every day he spent more than 12 hours on the mountain. After a month, he had successfully planted 18 trees, 13 of which survived.

Three months later, he had planted more than 300 trees, most of which survived. Over the next 40 years, Fu brought green color to five mountains around his village.

With the help of local governments, a forest protection volunteer service team was set up to carefully protect and guard the verdant mountains, preventing illegal logging and fires.

Over the years, Fu has received many awards, including the National Self-Improvement Medal, the Earth Award and Advanced Individual of China Ecological Civilization Award.

Fu's story also deeply touched countless people across the country.

In 1998, Xiong Zijun, a Shanghai resident began to donate money to Fu for his tree planting and purchased saplings for Fu to plant.

After years of study and exploration, Fu has gained rich experience and taken advantage of technology. He has taught more than 200 nearby farmers, free of charge, to increase their incomes by planting trees.

Recent health problems have slowed Fu down. He has been recuperating at home since February.

"Now it is difficult for me to continue planting trees in the mountains, but I will always guard this forest," he said. "I will never change my dream and original aspiration of promoting green development in my hometown."