Li Yunsheng, who lives in Youyu county [Photo provided to China Daily]

Once barren with over 70 percent of its land an arid desert, Youyu county of Shanxi province has been turned into a thriving oasis and the subject of oil paintings, thanks to seven decades of strenuous human effort.

In Youyu, many have devoted themselves to the cause of afforestation. Li Yunsheng, 63, is one of them. As of this year, Li has devoted 16 years of his life to planting trees and his beloved Matou Mountain.

The Matou Mountain is located in the northern part of Youyu county, reaching an altitude of 1,800 meters. On the mountain slope lies the Matoushan village, where Li Yunsheng was born and raised.

Discharged from military service with the railroad forces of the People's Liberation Army in 1984, Li took up work as a driver before establishing his own driving school. With a decent income, he lived an adequate life with his wife and three sons.

In 2002, due to the harsh conditions of the village－remote location, inconvenient transport and poor environment－the Youyu government arranged for the relocation of its entire population, which included around 20 households.

"Many farmers had moved out in advance. When they left, I found it hard to part with the village. So, I thought, maybe I could stay and improve the village's overall environment," Li says.

Out of this wish, Li contracted the 83 hectares of Matou Mountain, marking the beginning of his tree-planting journey. However, he never foresaw the complete alteration of his previous life.

He would go up to the mountains everyday before dawn and return home after sunset. If he got hungry or thirsty, he would eat a packed lunch and drink cold water.

"I didn't expect tree-planting to be so difficult," Li says. "Because of the drought and the sandstorms, the mountain was bare of any trees or even weeds. There was not even a single path on the mountain."

Youyu county before (top) and after local people's afforestation efforts. The county has been turned from a barren land into a thriving oasis thanks to their active work since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Li says due to the low survival rate of the saplings, he had to replant trees at least five times before they would finally take root and grow healthily.

The wind and sand eroded Li's skin. His hands and feet still suffer from skin fissures.

Having spent all his money on larches, pines and shrubs that help to fix the soil, he had to apply for loans from banks and borrow from friends and former colleagues.

Despite the financial hardship, what was even more intolerable for Li was the incomprehension and objection he faced from his family and friends, many of whom deemed him mad for giving up his perfectly normal life.

Li's wife, Yan Aiyun, refused to go onto the mountain with him. When, after three years, she finally did step on the soil of Matou Mountain, she was immediately moved to tears by the verdant landscape.

"Since then, no matter how much money we spent, how much effort we devoted, how much hardship we suffered, I feel it is all worthwhile." Yan says.

Despite the difficulties and distress, Li specifically expressed his gratitude to Wang Jian, the former director of the county's transport bureau.

Quickly running out of budget and owing a great debt, Li had to seek support from officials to build a road and he went to the bureau to explain his dilemma.

Wang immediately filed a report to the provincial government and managed to build a road on Matou Mountain in just 20 days.

So far, Li has spent over five million yuan ($726,511) on his tree-planting project and has planted approximately 3 million trees.

"At first, I would put in 100,000 or 200,000 yuan each year. Now, I only need to spend about 20,000 yearly, to replace the dead trees with new ones," Li says.

Li has now paid back most of his debt with his earnings from raising cattle. "Now the environment is quite nice, and the mountain is in close proximity to Youyu's historical site Shahukou. I am even thinking of developing agritourism here.

"Some people have asked me what I am aiming for, but I really don't know the answer. I just simply love trees," Li says. "At least I have done one thing in my life. I have gone through adversity, but now I feel proud and a strong sense of accomplishment."