Yang Yicai, a farmer in Zichuan district, Zibo city, Shandong province, has planted over 600,000 trees in 13 years, worth an investment of over 1.5 million yuan (US$ 237,750).

Yang has been undertaking tree planting and the safeguarding of forests, around Laohu Mountain, since May 1999.

Due to water shortage, the water used for tree planting needs to come in from 3 kilometers away.

For the prevention of forest fires and as a protection against thieves, Yang patrols along a stretch of 30 kilometers at least every day. For the sake of convenience, his family lives on the mountain.

Now, the forested area on the mountain has increased from 500 mu (33.3 hectares) to 3000 mu (200 hectares). Five cisterns, with a gross storage capacity of 30 cubic meters and a 1500-meter-long firewall, have been established.