Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife check the growth of trees in the forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
The forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, is where Wang Shigui, a 65-year-old ranger, works and a lookout tower on the top is where Wang and his wife live in the mountain.
The forest, with an area of 7,400 mu (493 hectares), is located over 30 kilometers away from Luliang county and at an elevation of more than 2,300 meters. The couple is responsible for monitoring potential fires and guarding the woods.
In the 1980s, Huamu mountain was afflicted by stony desertification. Then, eight farmers took the lead in planting trees in a bid to transform the barren mountain, encouraging more and more people to join the afforestation force and creating wider coverage of greenness.
Wang has stuck to his post for 24 years, which results in the couple spending more time with the lush mountain and less with their children. However, eight predecessors become a constant source of inspiration for them to prevail over difficulties and forge ahead.
What makes the senior couple proud most is that the forest on Huamu mountain has never seen a fire in the past 24 years. “I just want to stay here, safeguarding the precious legacy left by the older generation,” Wang said.
Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife check the growth of trees in the forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
This aerial photo taken on March 12 shows Wang Shigui, a ranger, observing from a lookout tower in Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife check the growth of trees in the forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife walk along a trail to a lookout tower in Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife patrol the forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Wang Shigui, a ranger, patrols the forest on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 12. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Wang Shigui, a ranger, patrols in a lookout tower on Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 11. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
This aerial photo taken on March 12 shows Wang Shigui, a ranger, and his wife observing from a lookout tower in Huamu mountain in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Photo taken on March 12 shows villagers from a township in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on their way to plant trees on Huamu mountain. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Photo taken on March 12 shows villagers from a township in Luliang county, Qujing, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, planting trees on Huamu mountain. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
