Villagers from Deshengyouliang, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's Juungar Banner, used to suffer a lot because of the Pisha sandstone. Due to the unyielding erosion caused by wind and rain to the soft rock, yellow sand often danced in the spring air, and red mud flowed frequently during the summer rains. The landscape was devoid of greenery.

After years of efforts to combat the conditions, villagers managed to find a pathway to transform the barren mountainous area. They were able to level the land before blending local loess and manure to create terraced surfaces. Despite the challenging terrain, apple trees could be planted.

As local authorities work to treat the arsenic sandstone to curb water loss and soil erosion, more villagers have planted apple trees with the support of local government. Today, apple orchards in Deshengyouliang total more than 150 hectares. Each year, about 160 metric tons of apples can be yielded in the village, bringing villagers more than 20 million yuan ($2.73 million) in income.

Shi Yudie contributed to this story.