Volunteers earn 'green passports' by planting trees in yellow sand

Minqin has enhanced its unique desert eco-tourism experience by integrating the credit point system for tree planting. Tourists with a high number of credit points in the Volunteer Hub app can enjoy priority access to in-depth guided tours and intangible cultural heritage experiences. The green passports have quietly become the golden key to unlocking a rich cultural and tourism experience for its visitors.

To protect the hard-won results of their afforestation efforts, the county has implemented a strict "blacklist" system targeting individuals who engage in behaviors that destroy the ecosystem or violate regulations by crossing protected areas. Those found to be in serious violation may face being banned from entering local tourist attractions.

This year, more than 8,753 hectares of manual afforestation and some 8,773 hectares of sand fixation have been completed in Minqin through engineering, greatly shrinking the desertified land.

The innovative model has also invigorated the local cultural and tourism industry, injecting green momentum into the local economic growth.