STORY: Green transformation of Helan Mountains | Stories shared by Xi Jinping
DATELINE: Aug. 16, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:49
LOCATION: YINCHUAN, China
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Helan Mountains
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU XUEHUA, Senior engineer, Ningxia Survey and Monitor Institute of Land and Resources
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): HU TIANHUA, Senior engineer, Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): NING JIN, Staff member, Helan Mountain National Forest Park
9. SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): ZHU YACHAO, Deputy director of scientific research section of Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration
10. SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): ZHANG JIAO, Resident of Longquan Village, Ningxia
11. SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): ZHANG JIAO, Resident of Longquan Village, Ningxia
12. SOUNDBITE 11 (Chinese): YANG LIXUE, Party chief, Longquan Village, Ningxia
13. Voice of Chinese President Xi Jinping
14. SOUNDBITE 12 (Chinese): WU SHUAI, Teacher, Party school of Yinchuan City Committee of the Communist Party of China

STORYLINE:

The Helan Mountains, stretching between Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, are an important ecological barrier in northwest China.

In June 2020, during a visit to Ningxia, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Helan Mountains constitute crucial shields for ecological security in the northwestern part of China.
He demanded resolute measures to strengthen the ecological conservation of the mountains.

The Helan Mountains were designated as a national nature reserve in 1988.

Nevertheless, these mountains, rich in coal resources, underwent significant environmental challenges in the past due to excessive exploitation.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
"Back then, we were solely focused on coal mining without considering other factors. There were more than 400 staff members during the peak times, with over 100 pieces of equipment in operation. At the peak, the annual coal extraction from the Helan Mountains reached up to 500,000 tonnes. Whenever the wind blew, the sky would be filled with black coal ashes, and we wouldn't be able to see anything on the roads."

In 2017, Ningxia launched an ecological restoration campaign to protect the Helan Mountains.

All mines within the ecological preservation area of the mountains were shut down.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
"I was assigned to work as a forest ranger by the company. It was during this period that I came to understand that environmental damage could occur in an instant, but the process of restoration is incredibly challenging."

To restore the ecological environment of the Helan Mountains, the initial step involved backfilling and proper disposal of the slag heaps.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU XUEHUA, Senior engineer, Ningxia Survey and Monitor Institute of Land and Resources
"Open-pit mining would generate excavation pits and slag heaps, which are prone to landslides and collapses. During heavy rainstorms, mudslides would easily occur, posing a threat to villagers and farmlands at the foot of the mountains. So during the environmental restoration, we tailored our approach to backfill the mining pits and reshape the slag heaps through slope reduction."

After land reclamation, the next step was afforestation. Drought-tolerant and saline-alkali-resistant plants were ideal choices.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
"Back then (in 2019), I led a group of over 100 people and spent two full days sowing grass seeds. In the first year, some seeds were carried off by the wind, while some fell prey to pheasants. We sowed again in the following year, and the grass seeds finally took root and sprouted. It was only after the grass began to flourish that we could proceed with tree planting. Up to now, we've also gained some knowledge about safeguarding the forest. I conduct daily patrols in the mountains, checking the growth of both grass and trees, and this is quite reassuring for me."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): HU JIANZHOU, Former deputy head of Wangquangou coal mine, Shizuishan City, Ningxia
"You see, how beautiful it looks."

Since 2017, holistic restoration has been completed at 214 sites in and around the Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve. 16 million tonnes of coal production capacity has been phased out.

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): HU TIANHUA, Senior engineer, Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration
"Through ecological restoration, the forested area of the Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve in Ningxia has expanded to cover 27,600 hectares, playing a significant role in conserving water sources, preventing wind and sand erosion, and regulating the climate."

The blue sheep, a species under national protection in China, thrive in large groups in the Helan Mountains.

Thanks to the restoration of the ecological environment, the vegetation has recovered and the population of the blue sheep has increased steadily.

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): NING JIN, Staff member, Helan Mountain National Forest Park
"I come here every day to feed the blue sheep. As the environment is getting much better, an increasing number of blue sheep have been spotted on this side of the mountain. I would miss them if I hadn't seen them even for a single day."

When the nature reserve was initiated in the 1980s, there were fewer than 1,800 blue sheep.

SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): ZHU YACHAO, Deputy director of scientific research section of Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration
"Now, the population of blue sheep here has surpassed 40,000, making Helan Mountains one of the areas with the highest population density of blue sheep in the world."

The improvement of ecology has also changed the fortunes of villages at the foot of the mountains.

SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): ZHANG JIAO, Resident of Longquan Village, Ningxia
"I grew up here. There used to be a lot of coal mines, which caused significant pollution to the environment. That's why I chose to leave and made a living elsewhere."

As the air turned fresh, and mountains green, residents in Longquan Village have been harnessing the resources for rural tourism, which significantly boosted their incomes.

SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): ZHANG JIAO, Resident of Longquan Village, Ningxia
"When I again returned to my hometown, I found that it had undergone tremendous changes. In 2019, I came back to my hometown and started an agritainment business, which mainly focuses on accommodation, dining, and picking fresh produce. Now, not only has the environment improved, but our earnings have also witnessed an upswing."

SOUNDBITE 11 (Chinese): YANG LIXUE, Party chief, Longquan Village, Ningxia
"The per capita net income of our village increased from 14,000 yuan (about 1,900 U.S. dollars) in 2017 to 21,000 yuan (about 2,900 U.S. dollars) in 2022. Over these years, we have also planted more than 1,200 mu (80 hectares) of orchards and ecological forests near the village. Everyone is encouraged to take part in preserving the green ecological barrier while collectively contributing to the building of a more beautiful homeland."

Voice of Chinese President Xi Jinping
"If we humanity do not fail nature, nature will not fail us."

SOUNDBITE 12 (Chinese): WU SHUAI, Teacher, Party school of Yinchuan City Committee of the Communist Party of China
"On the new journey in the new era, we should join hands and strive tirelessly to promote ecological progress, realize modernization featuring the harmonious co-existence of man and nature, and work together to build a better and more beautiful homeland."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yinchuan, China.
(XHTV)