Endless snow and glaciers, untouched coastlines and the thrill of following in the footsteps of renowned explorers are luring more Chinese to polar trips.
Liao Lichun's dream is to safeguard Beijing's blue sky. "I hope that I can green the deserts in everybody's hearts, and future generations can live better lives as a result of the efforts of us volunteers," he said.
Herdsmen in Yushu, Qinghai Province, have had a difficult time recently getting along with wild animals, partly because the shortage of food has made them turn against the local people.
Forty-three kilometers away from downtown Shijiazhuang, one of China's most polluted cities, Xiaoshijiazhuang has been extracting profits from e-trash for two decades.