ChineseToday | Ranger guards forest for 37 years in NE China's Liaoning

Li Dongkui is a forest ranger at Zhanggutai Forest Farm in Zhangwu County.

The forest farm is located on the southern edge of the Horqin Sandy Land and is part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program.

In 1987, Li began working at the forest farm as a ranger.

The most profound childhood memory Li has of his hometown is the fierce sandstorms. He knew that only by advancing sand control could this situation be fundamentally changed. However, the challenges Li faced were far beyond his imagination.

Li Dongkui drives a tractor and patrols the forest in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui checks a fallen pine tree in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui checks the growth of pine trees in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui patrols the forest in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

In the beginning, the conditions on the forest farm were extremely harsh, far from populated areas, with no water or electricity, and the land was covered with sand dunes. The forest there had no roads and was rugged, so the forest farm equipped Li with a horse. To better patrol the forest, Li moved his home into the mountains. During the high-risk period of the forest fire, Li patrolled even on windy nights.

With the government's investment in forest area infrastructure in recent years, Li's house was renovated, and his work place had been connected by road.

An aerial drone photo shows Li Dongkui patrolling the forest in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui drinks water under a tree in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui checks the growth of weeds on sandy land in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 31, 2024 shows Zhanggutai Forest Farm in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui feeds chicken at home in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Li Dongkui walks in the forest in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 3, 2013. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Reporters: Li Zheng, Li Gang, Yang Qing

Editors: Wu Jingdan, Meng Chenguang, Wu Xia, Sun Xiaotan, Han Xiaoyu, Xin Mengchen

China Story Studio