The man who planted a million trees

Zhang Yingshan, 65, has worked with trees for over 45 years, reported Xinhua.

Following the steps of his father, Zhang became a forestry worker at the Wumahe forestry bureau in northeast China in 1975. Nine years later, he opened the bureau's first family-run forest farm, planting 30 hectares of trees each year.

From 1981 to 2011, Zhang, with the help of his wife Yan Yuping, planted around a million trees on the ridge of the Lesser Hinggan Mountains. After retiring at the age of 55, he keeps inspecting trees and cutting down weeds.

"When I go into those forests and see how fast they grow, I'm really pleased," Zhang said. "Those trees are like my own children."

The couple spends most of the time in a cottage deep inside the mountains, as it is convenient to plant and tend trees. "I will devote all of my efforts to the trees," Zhang said.