The ecological benefits have already reaped a reward in Saihanba today.

The 53-year-old Lyu Zhenjun has worked in Saihanba for more than 30 years. "When I first came to work here, I slept on a heatable brick bed. Except for the forest farmworkers, there were few outsiders all year round. But now, on holidays, there are tourists from other provinces. Farmers and herdsmen offer small bed-and-breakfast services with more money in their pockets," he says.

Saihanba's success has allowed this "miracle on earth" to be replicated across the country. The construction of the "three more Saihanba" project launched in 1999 has already seen green barriers built in Chengde Yudaokou, Qiansongba, and Zhangjiakou Saibei, effectively preventing sand and dust in Hunshandak Sand Land from going south.