When Ma Jiancheng decided to accept a job offer as a forest ranger at the Sidalong nature conservation station in the Qilian Mountains in Northwest China, he knew he would spend the rest of his life there.

"It was 1999, after I returned from military service. I took over the baton of patrolling from my father, who had worked in that role in the same area for 30 years," Ma said.

"I have a deep love for this position, and my interactions with local herders have always given me a special sense of simplicity and sincerity. These honest and kind-hearted herders motivated me to stay in the mountains and work at the grassroots level, even though I had another job offer in town with much better conditions."

In addition to his deep affection for the mountains, his father's perseverance and dedication to protecting the mountains also sowed a seed in Ma's heart. "During my childhood, I could only see my father twice a year — during the planting and harvest seasons. Even during Spring Festival, he couldn't come home because it coincided with the forest fire prevention period," Ma said.

This inspired him to become a patrolman himself, to restore and safeguard their beloved mountains.