Exhibition highlights Helan Mountains' ecological progress

An exhibition showcasing ecological conservation achievements in the Helan Mountains opened at the Inner Mongolia Art Museum in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 1 and will run through Sept 10.

Featuring 185 documentary images and photographs, the exhibition presents the transformation of the Helan Mountains and highlights efforts to restore and protect their ecosystems.

The exhibition comprises two sections. One features 134 images documenting initiatives such as returning grazing land to forests, restoring vegetation in mining areas, and enhancing smart ecological monitoring. The other showcases 51 photographs capturing the mountains' landscapes, wildlife, and the dedication of generations of forest rangers.

Stretching about 250 kilometers along the border between Inner Mongolia's Alshaa League and Ningxia, the Helan Mountains are home to 582,000 mu (38,800 hectares) of natural secondary forest, the largest such area in western Inner Mongolia.

Conservation efforts have raised forest coverage in the national nature reserve from 31.6 percent to 57.3 percent, with vegetation coverage reaching 80 percent. Populations of red deer and blue sheep have also steadily grown.