The landscape is transforming—this is the "Pingliang code" behind 5.55 million acres of forest. In the Laoye Mountain forest area of Chongxin County, and at the forest wellness camping base in Xiaocha Village, Shangyang Township, Kongtong District, spring winds sweep across the land of Pingliang, making the Jing River shimmer with sparkling waves. Recently, in the tree-planting zones across ten administrative villages of Sishilipu Town and Liuhu Town in Kongtong District, crowds gathered, shovels swung, as 22,000 staff and workers took advantage of the beautiful spring weather to plant 326,000 saplings of hawthorn, spruce, and Chinese pine into the fertile soil.
This scene is from the 2026 spring voluntary tree-planting event in Pingliang City, and it is also a microcosm of the city's over 40 years of persistent greening and forest protection efforts.
From planting a single tree to guarding an entire forest, the people of Pingliang have used their hands to write the color green across the land of Longdong. Today, the city's forest area has reached 5.5537 million acres, with forest coverage rising to 33.8% and grass and forest coverage reaching 46.07%. Pingliang has successfully become Gansu's first "National Forest City," achieving a fundamental transformation from "yellow" to "green."
On the slopes of Shuangfeng Village in Antou Town, Huating City, 88-year-old Wang Dengcheng slowly straightens his back while holding onto a tree trunk. His hand strokes the rough bark, and his gaze is as tender as if looking at his own child. "In the past, the village mountains were bare slopes. On windy days, yellow sand filled the sky, burying the crops in the fields out of sight," Wang recalled, sitting on the edge of a kang (a heated bed), holding an old Party emblem, his eyes fixed on the forest outside the window. Back then, in his early twenties, he made a silent vow under the Party flag: to turn Shuangfeng's barren mountains green and free the villagers from the suffering of sandstorms.
He spent a lifetime fulfilling that promise. From black hair to white, from vigorous strides to faltering steps, Wang dedicated 68 years to greening his hometown's barren mountains. Initially, tree planting was far more challenging than imagined: the barren slopes had poor soil, lacked water and fertilizer, and saplings were either blown over by wind and sand or withered from drought. But Wang never gave up, believing that one day he could turn the barren mountains green. Over the years, the once-barren slopes gradually became covered with new greenery. The rampant yellow sand was firmly anchored by tree roots, and Shuangfeng's mountains turned greener day by day, its waters clearer. Yet, through daily toil, Wang's appearance quietly changed: his once jet-black hair turned frost-white, and his straight back became slightly hunched from years of labor. "This forest is my life," he said. Over 68 years, he witnessed barren hills transform into lush forests, muddy dirt roads become smooth cement paths, and low adobe houses turn into neat brick-and-tile homes. "As long as I can walk, I will keep planting trees. These trees are for Shuangfeng Village, and for the Party," Wang stated resolutely. His story is the truest portrayal of countless greening pioneers in Pingliang.
It is the perseverance of countless individuals like Wang Dengcheng that has enabled the land of Pingliang to achieve a magnificent transformation from "yellow" to "green." Every spring, voluntary tree planting becomes a collective action in Pingliang, involving government officials, armed police, teachers, students, and ordinary citizens—all wielding shovels, planting saplings, and watering trees. For over 40 years, afforestation activities involving millions of participants have become an unchanging spring tradition. Since the start of the "14th Five-Year Plan," the city has planted more than 31 million trees, with a participation rate consistently above 96%.
The methods of greening have also evolved quietly. Pingliang actively promotes both online and offline activities such as afforestation, nurturing and management, and tree adoption. With a smartphone, one can "cloud-adopt" an ancient tree; with a few clicks, one can donate to support distant forests. The "Internet + Voluntary Tree Planting" initiative extends green-loving and forest-protecting actions from offline to online, turning occasional efforts into daily habits. Greening efforts have entered government compounds, schools, and communities, making "green views from windows and forests at the doorstep" part of daily life for an increasing number of Pingliang residents.
The green legacy is also carefully preserved and passed down through generations. Pingliang implements projects like the "Zuo's New Willows" cutting afforestation, revitalizing historical memories. The "Ancient Chinese Scholartree King" internet crowdfunding campaign gathers love from all directions, and five ancient trees have been included in the national "Encounter Ancient Trees" mini-program directory.
At 7 a.m., at the Luojiagou protection station in Tugudui Forest Farm, Kongtong District, forest rangers set out on their patrol. They open the "Patrol Connect" app on their phones, carefully inspecting fire hazards and monitoring tree growth along familiar routes. Such patrols are routine for Pingliang's more than 13,000 full-time and part-time rangers. On the large screen at the Pingliang Forestry and Grassland Bureau's Forest and Grassland Fire Prevention and Wildlife Video Monitoring Center, live feeds from 50 front-end video surveillance points installed in 16 state-owned forest farms are displayed. Rotating 360-degree cameras clearly monitor the surroundings, while surveillance equipment at 16 road checkpoints shows real-time images and dynamically captures passing people and vehicles. "The pan-tilt cameras on the monitoring towers have both visible light and infrared thermal sensing capabilities, along with smoke detection functions, enabling swift fire identification, precise location of fire points, and alarms," explained a staff member. This system can also be accessed via mobile phones, allowing monitoring anytime, anywhere.
Aerial inspections, mountain-top lookouts, and ground patrols—Pingliang has established a three-dimensional forest protection system. Yet, this is only one aspect of the city's forest chief system implementation. In recent years, Pingliang has built a four-tier forest chief responsibility system covering city, county, township, and village levels. With 5,060 forest chiefs assigned to specific areas, 3,908 responsibility zones precisely delineated, and 1,745 public notice boards prominently erected, protection responsibilities are细化到山头、地块、人头. The implementation of the "Five Ones" and "Four Lists and One Letter"工作机制 ensures clearer goals, more specific responsibilities, more transparent processes, and more reliable outcomes for forest chiefs. "The forest chief system is not just a wall-mounted policy; it is a responsibility carried on our shoulders. We must protect this green throughout the seasons," is a common refrain among grassroots rangers.
The key to the forest chief system lies not only in "system" but also in "governance." Pingliang's counties, cities, and districts adapt to local conditions, each showcasing its strengths to turn institutional advantages into governance efficacy. Kongtong District focuses on effective implementation of the forest chief system, appointing 753 forest chiefs and erecting 315 notice boards to achieve full forest land coverage. Regular patrols and protection by forest chiefs at all levels promote afforestation, green development, and protection, scientifically carrying out land greening, strictly enforcing fire and disease prevention, cracking down on forest-related violations, and strengthening the integration of forestry fruits and forest tourism to boost both ecological protection and public prosperity. In Chongxin County, a comprehensive three-tier forest chief organizational system is established at county, township, and village levels, with 283 forest chiefs appointed and 512 grid areas defined. Using satellite remote sensing and drone patrols, the county achieves round-the-clock, three-dimensional monitoring of forest resources. Xuanfeng Mountain Forest Farm has built a "human + technical" protection system with 12 high-pole surveillance points, achieving zero forest fires for 39 consecutive years. Jingchuan County uses the forest chief system as a tool for deepening practical work. Forest chiefs at all levels lead patrols and protection efforts, with 752 rangers and 215 grassland managers conducting regular inspections, focusing on key risks like agricultural fires and ritual fires, and building an ecological protection framework of "forest chiefs leading, departments coordinating, and public participation." Lingtai County has established a three-tier forest chief system with 603 forest chiefs and 1,065 rangers, implementing grid-based management responsibilities for specific mountain areas and plots. By optimizing ranger selection and management, the county enables smart patrols with online check-ins and issue reporting. Implementing the "8311"工作机制, it achieves precise warnings through "sky-ground" integrated monitoring and严厉打击涉林违法行为.
The path to green protection is not achieved by one person alone. Pingliang promotes models like "Forest Chief + Police Chief" and "Forest Chief + Prosecutor," ensuring efficient coordination between law enforcement and judiciary to form a strong合力 against illegal fire use and forest resource destruction. Meanwhile, it encourages civilian forest chiefs and volunteers to participate in awareness campaigns, distributing fire prevention manuals and civilized bird-watching guides to the public, making "green protection" a collective consensus.
In spring, in Guanwan Village, Yanghe Township, Zhuanglang County, orchard branches stretch vigorously. A spring breeze rustles through the trees, startling a flurry of activity—flocks of chickens emerge from the woods, foraging. "In spring, summer, and autumn, the chickens eat weeds and insects under the apple trees, and their manure enriches the soil as fertilizer for the trees, forming a green cycle. But in winter, we can't let them into the orchard—they climb the trees and peel the bark!" said Li Yuqiang, a returnee youth. Li returned to his hometown in 2022 and started raising "running chickens" in his 4-acre orchard last February. "The chickens run around in the woods all day, so their meat is firm. We sell 60–70 each week, and they're very popular with customers," Li said proudly. "Last year, we sold over 3,900 chickens online and offline, earning 100,000 yuan!" Supportive policies bolstered Li's entrepreneurial confidence—the township subsidizes ecological chicken raising at 30 yuan per bird. In July last year, he received nearly 10,000 yuan in subsidies and brought in over 500 new chicks. Li plans to lease 3 more acres this year to expand his "running chicken" business and increase his income.
In Xinkai Township, Lingtai County, forest-based ecological medicinal-feeding free-range chicken farming is also thriving. Four villages—Yaojiawan, Gaolingyuan, Liangjiazhuang, and Dahu—leveraged mountainous resources, revitalizing idle sheep farms, unused school buildings, and forest enclosures to release an initial batch of 2,000 ecological free-range chickens. "We highlight the core advantages of 'forest free-ranging, medicinal feeding, and natural growth.' Using natural grains like corn, wheat, and sorghum as base feed, supplemented with herbal leaves such as astragalus and isatis root, we boost the chickens' immunity and give the meat a unique medicinal flavor," explained a representative from Xinkai Township. By the end of December last year, the first batch of over 2,000 medicinal free-range chickens were successfully marketed, receiving enthusiastic market response.
The vigorous development of the underforest economy is a vivid reflection of Pingliang's focus on "ecological industrialization and industrial ecologicalization." In Jingning County's apple planting base, digital technologies like soil moisture monitoring and smart water-fertilizer control make orchard management more scientific and efficient. Production lines for sorting, cleaning, and packaging ensure that "Jingning apples" reach far and wide. Today, the city has widely adopted smart forest chief information platforms and the "Patrol Connect" app, establishing an intelligent forestry and grassland ecological perception system to digitally empower underforest economic development.
In Zhuanglang County's Nanping Town edible mushroom industrial park, manager Liu Xifu grabbed a handful of crushed apple branches and explained, "Apple branches are excellent material for mushroom sticks!" The park utilizes abundant apple planting resources from Zhuanglang and Jingning counties, turning waste branches into mushroom cultivation substrate. It produces 3 million mushroom sticks annually, forming a circular industrial chain of "orchard planting—branch utilization—mushroom cultivation—organic soil return." Jingchuan County's Guanshan Forest Farm, with 95% forest coverage, leverages its resource advantages to pursue a new path of "ecological establishment, industrial strength, and public prosperity." The forest farm develops forest tourism, creating a destination integrating ecological sightseeing, wellness, and leisure, complemented by homestays, dining, and hiking experiences, attracting about 20,000 tourists annually. It also enables nearby residents to harvest underforest products, increasing per capita annual income by 3,000 to 5,000 yuan.
Data provides the most compelling evidence: last year, Pingliang's underforest economy总产值 reached 1.214 billion yuan. Underforest planting bases covering 199,100 acres yielded an annual output value of 945 million yuan, while forest farming areas of 35,700 acres produced 1.11 million livestock and poultry. Thirteen forest product processing enterprises generated an annual output value of 70 million yuan, and 64 forest scenic spots welcomed 107,800 tourists.
In Huating City's walnut industry demonstration park, technicians guide farmers in spring pruning. "This is a provincial-level forestry and grassland industry project we secured, with 800,000 yuan in funds entirely dedicated to improving walnut orchard quality and efficiency," said Wang Wei, deputy director of the Pingliang Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Last year, the city planned eight provincial projects, applying for 3.6 million yuan in subsidies to support economic forestry and underforest economy development. Under the "Three Zones" talent service plan, the city has conducted 1,532 training sessions on fruit tree pruning and pest control, benefiting 106,900 people.
Luo Xiaoping, director of the Pingliang Forestry and Grassland Bureau, stated that forest industry development is a key task in the city's ongoing "Three Grasps and Three Promotions" campaign. The next step will involve deepening industrial integration, nurturing new business entities, and addressing challenges like forest land rights confirmation, transfer, and financing, ensuring that the underforest economy serves as a "golden key" to both protect green mountains and unlock doors to prosperity.
Today, Pingliang's mountains are greener, its waters clearer, and its skies bluer. Green has become the most distinctive feature of this city and the most powerful driver of high-quality development.