Lanzhou University International Summer Program | From Meadows to Desert: Participants Take an “Ecological Field Lesson” in Gansu

Recently, participants in Lanzhou University’s International Summer Program traveled from Zhuaxixiulong Grassland in Tianzhu County, at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, to Babusha Forest Farm in Gulang County on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert. Amid the dramatic transition from boundless green meadows to sweeping yellow dunes, the excursion offered an immersive encounter with a vivid example of China’s ecological civilization in action.

Group photo of the participants

In the early morning, waves of grass rippled across Zhuaxixiulong Grassland as herds of yaks wandered leisurely. A researcher traced the origins of the yak, a livestock species native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, detailing its domestication history, physiological characteristics, and genetic diversity, with a particular focus on its unique adaptations to cold, high-altitude, low-oxygen environments and its multiple roles in the plateau economy. While listening, the participants observed nearby yaks, asked questions, and took part in discussions. On this working pasture, they gained firsthand insight into the close connection between biodiversity conservation and sustainable pastoral development.

Researcher giving an on-site explanation

In the afternoon, the participants headed to Babusha Forest Farm in Gulang County. This once-barren wasteland—where, as locals put it, “the wind blew once a year, from spring to winter”—is now lush with trees and grass. Inside the Memorial Hall of the “Six Old Men” Combating Desertification, rough shovels, worn straw hats, and faded photographs quietly tell the legendary story of three generations of desertification-control workers who “dared to turn the desert into an oasis.” The participants stopped to take a closer look. In this oasis nurtured by sweat and unwavering resolve, they truly felt the tenacity and perseverance behind the Chinese people’s fight against desertification.

Participants visiting the Memorial Hall of the “Six Old Men” Combating Desertification

After the visit, the participants went to the front line of sand control on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, where they gained hands-on experience making straw checkerboard sand barriers. Guided by local staff, they picked up shovels and set to work—digging trenches, laying straw, pressing it into place, and setting it upright. Despite the blazing sun and scorching sand, every participant bent down and carefully completed each step.
From lush alpine pastures to the sandy edge of the desert, the participants felt the pulse of China’s ecological governance along the way. China’s sandified land is now shrinking by an average of 10 million mu per year, a dramatic reversal from the annual expansion of 5.15 million mu recorded at the end of the last century. Behind this achievement lies the day-after-day dedication of hundreds of thousands of people committed to combating desertification. Participants from around the world will bring what they saw and learned back to their home countries, becoming advocates and practitioners of ecological civilization.