Forests breathe life into province, keep desert at bay

Apart from its image of having a harsh environment, Yan'an is home to forests crucial to China's ecology.

In recent years, local forestry authorities have ramped up protection of natural forests using cutting-edge technologies and experimented with increasing financial returns from them.

In 2015, the city's Qiaobei forestry administration launched a high-tech conservation project in Ziwuling National Nature Reserve.