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The government of Daur Autonomous Banner of Morin Dawa – administered by Hulunbuir city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – has increased its forest and grass areas considerably in recent years.

Helping lead the way is 78-year-old Li Zhenhai, who has been greening barren mountains for more than 30 years. He and his wife Jiang Kaizhi have personally planted more than 2,300 mu (153 hectares) of forest in the banner.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Li shared the story behind his decades of hard work.

Here are some excerpts.

Q: You were born in Shandong province, so what attracted you to the banner?

Li: In the autumn of 1973, I came to the banner to visit relatives. To pass time, I collected mushrooms, fungus and hazelnuts and earned more than 300 yuan ($47) a week, which was what I used to earn in my hometown in a year. I decided to settle in the banner because of the abundant resources there.