Traversing Thousands of Miles Is just for Guarding This Green Land

Nature and I coexist, and all things are one with me. It implies that man and nature form a community of life. Since ancient times, humanity has understood the interdependent relationship between nature and mankind. Humans are born in the embrace of nature and grow up with its breath. In northwestern Hubei Province, there lies a mysterious primeval forest. It gained fame as the place where Emperor Yan Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and became shrouded in mystery due to the enigma of the "Bigfoot". Having changed from a sea into high mountains and endured rampant deforestation, Shennongjia remains inlaid on this land, shining like a translucent jade. Behind its enchanting beauty is a group of unsung heroes who, without asking for rewards, have dedicated their youth to the deep mountains. The baton of stewardship has been passed on continuously, allowing the perfect ecological environment of Shennongjia to be preserved. They are this mountain's guardians, cultivators, trailblazers, strivers, and watchmen.

Guarding this forest has been her lifelong commitment. Her name is Zhou Weiping. When she was a child, she followed her parents to Shennongjia, where they worked on the infrastructure team, building roads through the mountains. Zhou Weiping spent her days running and playing in the great mountains of Shennongjia. At that time, it was the "timber economy" era in Shennongjia. She witnessed countless loggers felling the forest, and with giant trees that fell, her heart seemed to sink into the cold mud along with them. It was a cold winter when Zhou Weiping walked along a small path. The ditches beside the road were filled with felled timber. People said they were waiting for the spring floods to wash them down to the Yangtze River, where they would be bundled into rafts and pushed into the great river to float downstream. She saw workers mechanically operating chainsaws and fir trees crashing down one after another. Wherever they went, it didn't take long for the area to turn into a bald land. Zhou Weiping looked at the bald mountains stripped of their outer garments, feeling helpless. The sharp cries of squirrels who had lost their homes echoed the silent screams in her heart.

Fortunately, the Chinese people have never forgotten the importance of the ecological environment to human survival. After implementing the "Natural Forest Protection Project" and the "Returning Farmland to Forests Project", people put down their chainsaws, transforming from loggers to forest rangers. By then, Zhou Weiping had also started her first job as a teacher, but she could never let go of the wounded forests in her heart. After just a few years of teaching, Zhou Weiping resolutely chose to leave her teaching position and become a forest ranger. As time passed, with every ranger "planting green in every gap", Shennongjia's forest coverage rate rose from 49.9% in 1977 to 90.4% in 2015. In 38 years, this 40.5 percentage point increase is not just a cold statistic but represents the hardships and sweat of countless forest rangers behind the scenes. During her time as a ranger, Zhou Weiping planted thousands upon thousands of saplings. She nurtured them as if they were her own children, helping the young trees grow upward and root deeply in this land.

Zhou Weiping is nearing retirement age today, and the once-barren mountains are now lush with greenery. Elegant fir trees stand silently all over the mountains, and vibrant rhododendrons grow in wild abandon. Recounting this experience, she said, "The ecological environment has never been the enemy of civilization. Our dream of a beautiful China needs nature's protection. The long road of ecology is the magnificent Chinese dream. We can leave blue skies for future generations by treating this blue sky well today. Only by adhering to General Secretary Xi's ecological civilization concept that 'a civilization may thrive if its natural surroundings thrive, and will suffer if its natural surroundings suffer,' can we safeguard our beautiful homeland of green mountains and clear waters, and win a sustainable future."

Silent cultivation has been the unchanging foundation of his life. His name is Xiao Chuanhua. Born and raised in Shennongjia, he has faced these towering peaks and traversed among them since his earliest memories, keeping company with the mountains. Back then, he didn't know that the forest trails he walked would be paths he would tread again and again for decades to come. When he reached working age, Xiao Chuanhua was full of anticipation, hoping to become a brick in the nation's foundation, contributing to its construction.

In Shennongjia, we enjoy nature's kindness, and people naturally want to do what they can for nature in return. After understanding the importance of nature conservation in his hometown, Xiao Chuanhua resolutely became a patrol ranger. Patrol work is indispensable for maintaining ecological stability, but the job is monotonous and arduous. Therefore, every patrol ranger needs a strong physique and rock-solid determination. When he first started working, Xiao Chuanhua looked up at the mountains and thought to himself that he would definitely guard well these mountains that had nurtured him. With this belief, he firmly set out on the long patrolling path. The rangers’ patrol routes are mostly in no-signal wilderness areas. They are cut off from people, walking fifty to sixty kilometers at a stretch, taking four to five days to complete a patrol route. When Xiao Chuanhua first started patrolling, his feet often blistered. He would silently pop the blisters and endure the pain to keep up with the team. Along the way, leeches climbed up his legs, and tick bites became commonplace, and he learned to remain calm, looking up at the high mountains, all for the ideals and beliefs in his heart. And so he walked for more than twenty years. During these two decades, he married and had children, but due to the special nature of his patrol work, he sometimes found it difficult to care for his family. During one patrol, his daughter suddenly developed acute appendicitis, but Xiao Chuanhua, in the wilderness, couldn't receive the news. It wasn't until the next morning that he hurriedly rushed to the hospital. Seeing his daughter lying in the hospital bed and his exhausted wife, a thousand words turned into a choked sob.

Today, Xiao Chuanhua still perseveres on the path of patrolling. His once jet-black hair has quietly acquired flecks of frost, but he continues to measure every inch of land with steady steps, working silently until the earth remembers his scent. I asked him, "Why can you keep moving forward without forgetting your original intention in such a monotonous job?" Gazing at the distant mountains, he said, "The animals and plants in this forest are like children who can't cry out to us. I have to check on them occasionally to see if they're doing well and if they're 'lacking clothes or food.' Only then can I put my mind at ease. As General Secretary Xi said, we must 'be committed to harmony between man and Nature.' Only when nature is well can we humans be better."

Going against the current has always been his unwavering dream. His name is Peng Jinlong, a native of Anhui Province. He was born in Bengbu, Anhui, where there are no high mountains, only rolling hills and vast plains. Back then, he was just a young man full of love for nature, accustomed to city life's fast pace and convenience. He never imagined that one day he would leave behind the prosperity and clamor of the city and plunge into nature's embrace, coming to this slow-paced small town.

By chance, Peng Jinlong met a girl from the mountains of Shennongjia online. From her descriptions, he developed an endless curiosity about these continuous high mountains. At her invitation, Peng Jinlong boarded a bus bound for the mountains. The journey of more than ten hours, winding through one mountain curve after another, did not dampen his courage. The moment he saw this emerald world, he knew he belonged here. He fell in love with the girl from the mountains, and also with the mountain's magnificence. He decisively left the dazzling city and buried himself in this forested land. He settled down here, joined the ranks of nature protectors, and became a grassroots patrol ranger. As a newly minted ranger, he found the patrol work quite challenging. Having grown up on the plains, every mountain trail was a brand new challenge. He gritted his teeth against his fear of the steep and precipitous mountain paths, never once falling behind the team. To adapt to the rugged mountain trails, he would often secretly climb the steep paths of one mountain after another alone on his off-duty days. With continuous effort, Peng Jinlong not only adapted to the work but also developed a deeper affection for the mountains.

Time flies and decades of patrol have left glorious marks on Peng Jinlong's face. He has not forgotten his original intention to protect this great mountain and constantly spurs himself to progress and keep up with the times. He is well-versed in the application of technology and smart patrol systems, always striving to be at the forefront of protection work. When others ask why he left home to come deep into the mountains, he always says, "Nature protection isn't just the job of a few people; it requires the participation of the whole society. Everyone needs this awareness. Shennongjia needs more people to join in the conservation cause. Spring has no nationality, and white clouds are citizens of the world. Everyone in Shennongjia receives nature's gifts, and everyone should make an effort for it."

Hard work and struggle are the forces driving his pursuit of ideals. His name is Wan Yong, and he has been steadfast on the frontlines of patrol work for twenty-nine years. When Wan Yong first started working, he was assigned to Guanmenshan  management station. At that time, the station was short-staffed. Understanding the severity of the patrol work, Wan Yong resolutely shouldered the heavy responsibility of patrolling and, together with another ranger, set foot into the mountains. They would walk for five or six days at a stretch. In the forest, fir trees overlapped in dense layers, blocking out the sun. They would sit on the ground, eating cold dry rations, fording streams and climbing mountains.

It was in the deep winter of 1996 when Wan Yong was recording the animals and plants encountered during the patrol as usual. The other ranger nudged him, gesturing for him to look in a certain direction. Wan Yong glanced over and was startled to see a person carrying a basket deep in the old-growth forest. He quickly strode over and discovered that the basket contained several bloodied wild animals. Realizing his trail had been exposed, the poacher immediately dropped the basket and fled. Wan Yong gave chase relentlessly and grabbed the poacher's clothing, but the culprit escaped, abandoning his clothes. Fortunately, a pager was left behind in the clothing pocket. Heaven's net is vast and loose, but it lets nothing slip through. In the end, the criminal was apprehended based on the clues provided by Wan Yong and his partner. After this incident, he realized that patrolling is a crucial link in ecological protection work. Only by continuously moving forward can we prevent human harm to nature.

All the world hustles and bustles for profit, and profit-driven poachers were once a major menace to Shennongjia. But now, with social progress and the development of information technology, more and more people have joined in the protection work. What used to be one or two people going into the mountains to patrol has now become teams of people. These forces have given Shennongjia comprehensive protection for wildlife. Now, high-definition surveillance cameras are installed at every mountain entrance. If there are any lawbreakers, staff can discover them immediately and rush to the scene. Wan Yong introduced me to the application of technology in protection work, excitedly saying, "We respect nature, protect nature, and follow its law, always putting nature first with a down-to-earth and persistent attitude. Now empowered by technology, protection work has also made leaps and bounds. Under strict systems, the beautiful ecology of 'clear waters, green banks, and fish swimming in shallow waters' has quietly blossomed."

United as one, they look up and watch over this green paradise. Over the years, visitors to Shennongjia have been endless, and many have raised this question: "Why, in an era of such rapid socio-economic development, has Shennongjia been able to preserve such a well-intact primeval ecological environment?" Every person in Shennongjia can answer this question. In the 1970s, to support national construction, Shennongjia heavily logged trees and destroyed over 1.5 km2 of vegetation. The total logged area reached 280 km2, and forest coverage sharply decreased by 12.9%. For a time, many organisms could hardly find homes to survive. It wasn't until 1981 that Chen Pixian, then the First Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, issued a stern order: "If Hubei can't protect one Shennongjia, it's a crime." Thus, the "Hubei Shennongjia Nature Reserve" was established. After the 21st century, Shennongjia launched the "Natural Forest Protection Project" and the "Returning Farmland to Forests Project", officially embarking on the long journey of protection.

Shennongjia was once an impoverished county. During the decades of protection work, the income sources for the masses were relatively singular, and tourism revenue emerged in response. The Shennongding Scenic Area thus entered people's field of vision, and the continuous flow of tourists injected vitality into Shennongjia, allowing its people to find a new way of self-sufficiency. Later, to better protect the ecological environment and provide a better living environment for the masses, over 460 households with more than 1,400 villagers from the Dajiuhu wetlandwere relocated to the new town of Pingqian, dozens of kilometers away. As the popularity of the Dajiuhu Scenic Area gradually increased, the relocated households in the new town all began to eat from the "tourism rice bowl".

With the economic foundation resolved, the people of Shennongjia unanimously developed an ecological consciousness. They began to study General Secretary Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization, and every household came to understand that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", realizing that as long as they can make these green mountains better, their own lives will also improve. So, the masses eagerly signed up to become honored part-time forest rangers, hoping to contribute their own strength to building green mountains and clear waters. Now in Shennongjia, from children to the elderly, everyone has firmly established the correct ecological development concept, profoundly understanding that this great mountain is our home. Thus, all the people respond and watch over the homeland together.

Although protection work is long and arduous, over decades of efforts have not let down this land of Shennongjia. By 2021, Shennongjia's forest coverage had reached a high of 96%. Behind these brief numbers are tens of thousands of supporters and upholders. They are the guardians who put down chainsaws and picked up saplings; they are the cultivators who forgot the hustle and bustle, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the cause of protection; they are the trailblazers who abandoned the dazzling prosperity, wanting only to make these mountains greener and these waters clearer; they are the strivers who continue to work hard as long as there is a glimmer of hope ahead. These people are not just a few; they are all the people of the entire Shennongjia Forestry District. All the people of the district have always been united, sharing a common goal: to build Shennongjia, this beautiful home where we all live.