Over the past 46 years, North China's Shanxi province has persistently promoted the construction of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program and established a protective forest system, providing strong ecological support for the transformation and development of the regional economy and the increasing of local incomes.

Since the launch of the "Three North" program in 1978, Shanxi has worked to protect the ecologically at-risk areas of the Taihang Mountains and Lyuliang Mountains by strengthening top-level design, policy support, and legislative management. To date, a total of 37.31 million mu (2.49 million hectares) of land has been afforested, and the forest coverage rate in the region has increased from 8.3 percent at the beginning of the program to the current 17.91 percent.

At the same time, Shanxi has provided scientific and technological support for carrying out land blasting preparation and afforestation with borrowed soil in dry and rocky mountainous areas, implementing runoff land preparation and drought-resistant afforestation in loess hilly areas, and promoting wind blocking on shady slopes and water harvesting afforestation in windy and sandy areas. More than 20 integrated technologies have been developed.

In addition, the province has developed green industries such as economic forestry, desert tourism, and new energy in the "Three North" program area, greatly contributing to rural vitalization. For example, Shanxi has been working to develop characteristic economic forest products and under-forest economic industries, which has grown incomes for 1 million farmers, with farmer incomes from the forestry and fruit industry accounting for over 50 percent in some counties.

Moving forward, Shanxi will prioritize the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, focusing on fields such as technology, management and innovation, and strive to make the "Three North" program a demonstration program across the country.