With the help of local government, each village in the Xueshan township, Weining, has its own specialty industry, including tobacco growing, chicken farming and beekeeping.

An Qingyi, director of the forestry station in Xueshan, said since 2013, the township has implemented a project to return farmland to forest and grassland. To achieve this it has planted more than 3,670 hectares of Huashan pine, 3,870 hectares of apples, 467 hectares of Sichuan pepper and over 330 hectares of walnuts.

"The key to afforestation lies in management. Otherwise, it won't be effective," An said.

To ensure the long-term and stable development of forests and grasslands, the station has formed a 267-person patrol team that conducts regular patrols to protect the mountains and grasslands throughout the year, regardless of wind or rain.

Meanwhile, the grassland has also become an ideal place for generating clean energy. It boasts the largest wind-solar hybrid power station in Guizhou that generates 450 million kilowatt-hours of energy every year. Compared with thermal power, it can save 135,000 metric tons of standard coal and reduce 350,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission, Weiyuan Daily News reported.