'Tree Grandpa' sees 'Black Mountain' turn green

At 91, Li Hongqi still walks through the forest named after him, gently touching the trunks of trees he helped plant decades ago.

"I feel like I'm looking at my children when I see this forest," Li said.

Known locally as the "Tree Grandpa", Li began three decades ago with just seven willow trees outside his home. Over the years, he mobilized neighbors and fellow retirees to plant thousands more. Today, the Hongqi Forest stands as a green buffer zone integrated into the broader Jinchuan National Mine Park.

His personal crusade was part of an urgent need in Jinchang, Gansu province, where decades of open-pit nickel mining left a barren, heavily scarred landscape. Rich in mineral resources, Jinchang is home to Jinchuan Group, one of China's major nickel and cobalt producers. Nearly 30 years of excavation left behind a pit 318 meters deep and 6 kilometers in circumference, surrounded by over 100 million metric tons of dark waste rock — a bleak area locals dubbed "Black Mountain".

"Every day, when I passed the 'Black Mountain', dust filled the air. It was so thick that you could hardly go outside," said Mo Zhiji, a retired smelter worker at Jinchuan Group.

The waste-rock slopes were loose, unstable, and entirely devoid of natural soil. In the arid Gobi climate, characterized by scarce rainfall and high evaporation, strong winds frequently carried dust from the mines into the city. The environment was so unforgiving that locals used to say, "Planting a tree here is harder than raising a child".

In the early days, residents carried topsoil and water up the slopes bucket by bucket, but survival rates remained low. Recognizing that manual planting couldn't keep pace with the degradation, the Jinchang government and Jinchuan Group launched a comprehensive ecological restoration project in 2009.

The team first stabilized the loose slopes, built drainage channels, and installed drip-irrigation networks. To bypass the logistical challenge of hauling topsoil across long distances, engineers developed an innovative soil-free technique: they neutralized fine particles from mine tailings and combined them with functional microorganisms to create fertile planting media on site.

Drought — and salt-tolerant native plants were then arranged in layers, with trees serving as windbreaks, shrubs stabilizing slopes and grasses holding soil in place.

"Planting trees is only the beginning," said Zhang Juanjuan, a chief engineer at Jinchuan Group and a deputy to Jinchuan district people's congress. "Long-term maintenance, monitoring and investment are essential to keep the restored ecosystem stable."

Over the past decade, restoration has spanned 2.68 million square meters. Together, the local government and enterprise have planted more than 740,000 trees and plants across 116 species. The restored woodland now connects with Jinchang's northern shelterbelt, curbing regional dust storms while offering a low-cost, replicable model for mine rehabilitation across Northwest China.

The results are becoming increasingly visible. More than 200 species of birds and insects have been recorded in the park, and what used to be an industrial scar has become a popular place for residents and visitors, attracting more than 100,000 people for recreation and study tours each year.

"It used to be polluted here. Now the environment is much better, and I often come to the mine park for a walk," said Yang Jiaqi, a Jinchang resident.

According to Li Dequan, director of Jinchang's natural resources bureau and a deputy to the city's people's congress, the initiative marks a permanent shift in regional mining strategy. "We have moved from passive cleanup to proactive restoration, from fragmented efforts to systematic, cycle-long management," Li said.

This model has expanded citywide. Supported by 109 million yuan ($15.1 million) in funding for Hexi Corridor demonstration projects, Jinchang has built a full-chain governance system covering inspection, maintenance, and community monitoring. Community tree-planting days and family tree-adoption programs have turned environmental stewardship into a local tradition.

Back in his forest, Li Hongqi continues his daily rounds, picking up litter and keeping watch over the trees.

"I can't plant trees like I used to, but I can still help protect them," Li said.

Tong Yunshan contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at huyumeng@chinadaily.com.cn