Before-and-after comparison of the Mu Us Sandy Land restoration. [Photo/Uxin Banner Integrated Media Center]

Uxin Banner in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has transformed parts of the Mu Us Sandy Land from "sand advancing and people retreating" to "green advancing and sand retreating" through decades of ecological restoration.

The transformation recently drew international attention when Chinese desertification-control pioneer Yin Yuzhen reunited with American teacher Ronald Sakolsky, 26 years after he donated $5,000 to support Yin's tree-planting efforts. The donation helped plant more than 50,000 trees, forming a forest now known as "Sakolsky Forest".

The story reflects a broader local effort that combines determination, scientific innovation, and community participation.

Uxin Banner has shifted from labor-intensive sand-control methods to targeted restoration, water-efficient planting, desert-adapted species, and research-driven solutions. It has also explored "photovoltaics + ecology" models that integrate renewable energy generation with ecological restoration.

Ecological improvement has been accompanied by enhanced livelihoods. Sand willow is now used as biomass fuel and for mushroom-growing materials, while ecotourism and educational initiatives have opened new income sources for local communities.

Today, forest coverage in Uxin Banner stands at 32.92 percent, while vegetation coverage and the desertification-control rate in its section of the Mu Us Sandy Land have both reached 85 percent.