A photo shows flowers burgeoning on the grassland of Jarud Banner, Tongliao City of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Yide)
HOHHOT, May 19 -- The vast grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is turning green. On a pasture, herdsman Hungerbator has just finished refurbishing and cleaning up a dozen yurts -- round tents that are traditional Mongolian dwellings -- to prepare for the upcoming peak tourist season.
Together with his family, Hungerbator runs an ecological pasture with an area of 13,700 mu (about 913 hectares) in Jarud Banner, Tongliao City of Inner Mongolia.
Along with the breeding of cattle and sheep, tourism is growing in the meadow. Entertainment activities unique to nomadic groups like horseriding and archery attract tourists, who can also experience feeding and milking cows, and brewing milk tea together with herders.
This fertile and vibrant land, however, was once very different. Back in 2014, desertification deteriorated as a result of inadequate rainfall and overgrazing.
"Sand covered many places, and no grass or trees grew," Hungerbator recalled.
In response, the local government encouraged herders to implement sheep number caps within the capacity of the grassland and increase cattle breeding, and supported them in developing other forms of business.
"Sheep tend to eat grass roots, while cows only eat the tip, which will not affect the growth of the grass," said Hungerbator.
At the end of 2016, Hungerbator sold more than 1,000 sheep to answer the call to restore the grassland ecology, which proved effective in mitigating desertification on his ranch.
To date, a total of 1.66 million mu of grassland have been restored, and 1.42 million mu of desertified land are under management in Jarud Banner.
In 2017, Hungerbator grasped the opportunity to start a tourism business. "Ecological tourism does no harm to the grassland ecology and is profitable, plus I can make more friends."
To support his start-up, the government of Jarud Banner invested in the construction of three yurts and restrooms for tourists near his ranch.
The shift from herder to tourism operator has brought Hungerbator more than a higher income. In 2019, his ranch received somewhere between 300 and 400 tourists per day during the peak season, raking in nearly 500,000 yuan (about 77,750 U.S. dollars). This tourist destination, despite the impact of COVID-19, sustained a revenue of 200,000 yuan last year.
China listed environmental rights in its National Human Rights Action Plan (2016-2020) and has been prioritizing ethnic minorities and ethnic-minority areas in its promotion of human rights.
In Jarud Banner of Tongliao City, where 51 percent of inhabitants are Mongolians, more and more herders like Hungerbator are taking high-quality and green paths toward prosperity.
Jarud Banner now boasts 332 large-scale livestock farms and 775 family-run ecological pastures. In 2020, the per capita disposable income of local farmers and herders reached 18,402 yuan. The total economic output of Inner Mongolia hit 1.74 trillion yuan last year, about 600 times the level seen in 1947 when the autonomous region was founded.
Hungerbator has not forgotten his struggle. He has connected with four impoverished families and offered them jobs. Herdsman Hei Ying, 51, has been working at Hungerbator's ranch during peak tourist seasons for three consecutive years, earning a monthly income of 3,000 yuan.
"I used to barely make ends meet by tilling land or taking part-time jobs, but now I don't have any worries about my livelihood," said Hei.
A total of 1.57 million people who were living under the current poverty line in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have been lifted out of poverty. Across the country, all 28 ethnic groups with smaller populations have shaken off poverty.
Looking to the future, Hungerbator plans to upgrade his tourist facilities and tap into a broader market for local specialties like dairy products. "It is far from success if I am the only one who is well-off. Instead, I will lead others to better lives."
