Makeover of county shows holistic care

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"Soil erosion wasn't simply an environmental problem," Zhong said. "It affected virtually every rural household in Changting. It threatened farmland, livelihoods and, ultimately, people's ability to survive. That's why Xi attached such importance to tackling it."

By 1985, soil erosion had affected 97,467 hectares of land, accounting for nearly one-third of Changting's total area, and the county faced a crisis that extended far beyond its barren hillsides.

"As the topsoil was washed away, the land became increasingly compacted and infertile, making it difficult for vegetation to grow. Sediment carried into rivers raised riverbeds, increasing the risk of flooding and threatening farmland downstream," said Yue, the conservation center's director.

For local farmer Ma, restoring the section of the mountain she had contracted became a lesson in persistence. After every heavy downpour, it was another climb up the mountain to assess the damage. Entire sections of newly planted slopes could disappear in a single rainstorm.

"There were times when I felt completely hopeless. Seeing the seedlings either washed away or scorched by the heat was heartbreaking," she recalled.

The turning point came after years of experimentation. Guided by soil and water conservation experts, Ma abandoned the conventional approach of planting trees first, and instead covered the barren slopes with Bahia grass.

The fast-growing, heat — and drought-tolerant grass proved remarkably helpful. Its dense root system bound the loose soil together, while its broad cover shielded the ground from direct sunlight, lowering surface temperatures and slowing rainwater runoff. As the grass gradually improved the soil quality, shrubs began to take root, followed by trees.

Year after year, the once-barren hills slowly turned green. "I've watched this mountain change little by little. I devoted much of my life to it, and it never let me down," Ma said.

Today, the hillsides Ma once struggled to stabilize are covered with orchards producing chestnuts, oranges and other fruits, creating new sources of income for local residents.

Jin Lian, a resident of Sanzhou township in the county, said that as life was "really hard back then", people left home to find work elsewhere. "Now, many are coming back because there are jobs here," she added.

The ecological recovery has also been recorded in another way — through the growing number of winged visitors.

Before dawn each day, photographer Liu Hui quietly scans Changting's wetlands using a spotting scope. "If the environment is good, the birds know first," he said. "They choose places where there's enough food, suitable habitat and clean water."

When Liu began photographing birds in 2016, he would spot only a handful of northern lapwings. Today, flocks of more than 300 arrive each year. Changting has also recorded 345 bird species, around 85 more than when the county published its first bird atlas in 2019.

For him, every newly recorded species tells the same story that the ecosystem is taking flight. "Birds are among the best indicators of ecosystem health. They settle wherever the climate suits them best and food is plentiful," he noted.

Standing beneath the shade of mature trees that did not exist a generation ago, Ma, the farmer, looked toward the mountain where she once watched rain wash away months of hard work within hours.

"We grew grass and planted trees because we wanted the mountain to live again," she said. "Now it feels as if the mountain has breathed life back into us."