30,000 Volunteers Plant Trees to Save Desert Town

When Zhong Lin returned to his hometown after university in 2020, he came home to a problem that had been growing since the 1950s: desert swallowing his community whole.

Minqin County sits trapped between two deserts in northwestern China's Gansu province. More than 90% of its land is now at risk of desertification, threatening the 170,000 people who call it home.

Zhong started small, selling agricultural products online to fund tree planting and sharing his anti-desertification work on social media. In 2024, his efforts caught fire when a popular reality show called "Become a Farmer" featured his campaign, showing 10 young city dwellers cultivating 450 acres of desert land in 190 days.

The response has been overwhelming. Since the county opened online volunteer registration this February, more than 30,000 people have traveled to this remote town at their own expense to plant drought-resistant trees like saxaul, whitethorns, and licorice.

College students and young professionals make up 80% of the volunteers. They dig pits, plant saplings, and compact soil together in teams, battling sandstorms and harsh terrain.

Chen Youfeng, a 34-year-old from southern China, signed up immediately after seeing a video of a young woman whose hands had hardened after a month of planting. "Her perseverance inspired me," Chen said. She spent six days in March working alongside strangers who quickly became teammates, even helping push a bus out of the mud together.

The Ripple Effect

The campaign has transformed Minqin beyond just its landscape. Seven local tourist attractions now offer free or discounted admission to volunteers, and new travel routes guide visitors through planting sites and cultural performances showcasing the region's heritage.

What makes this movement special isn't just the million saplings going into the ground. It's watching an entire generation choose to spend their vacation days fighting an environmental crisis in a place most had never heard of six months ago.

"Every sapling feels like a small victory for the team," Chen said. She's already planning her next trip back.