Living off the forests

In the Bei'an Forest Farm in the Dahinggan Mountains in the city of Genhe, Inner Mongolia, forest rangers are busy digging pits for tree-planting efforts in the spring.

"Environmental protection is our job now," said Zhou Yizhe, a worker on the forest farm. In 2015, a ban on commercial logging in natural forests was implemented in the area, so workers like Zhou became rangers employed to cultivate trees.

The 58-year-old will retire in two years' time. He said he hoped more young people will be recruited to the forest farms so that they will take up the baton of preserving the vast forests.

Many former forest workers like Zhou are now responsible for the daily protection of forested areas.

Zhou Changhe, 71, was a maintenance worker for the trains that carried wood at a forest farm in Arxan, a city in the southwest of the Dahinggan Mountains.

"When the train tracks were dismantled due to the logging ban, I was worried that there would be nothing to do. But it is everyone's responsibility to protect the forests for future generations and maintain the ecological balance," said Zhou, who moved into a six-story building in 2017, having lived in a small bungalow for decades.

Whenever he visits the mountains for fun, the retired forest worker often reminds people not to start fires, and tells those digging for wild vegetables not to root out the plants. His family also values the harmony between humans and nature, and between people, he said.

In the neat living room of his new first-floor home, a plaque hangs on the wall bearing Chinese characters that read, "Harmony in a family makes everything successful." His wife Zhou Xiurong enjoys square dancing with her peers.

In Arxan, about 60 percent of the population make a living through tourism-related services.

Jiang Huixin, whose ranger father was also a logger, cherishes his job at the Arxan National Forest Park, where he is in charge of tourist safety and vegetation protection. He always teaches his 5-year-old son to protect nature whenever they go outside.

"I often tell him that flowers and trees are all living things. We should take care of them," said the 31-year-old, who earns about 3,700 yuan a month. His wife works in the park's catering sector.

"We still live off the forests, but in a different way. Tourism has developed due to the forests and natural beauty, and life is better," Jiang said.

Xinhua correspondents Wang Jian, Zhang Yunlong, Yu Jia and Urihan contributed to this story.