Dedicated digger plants forests to stave off sand

Hou Gui has spent decades protecting the farmland of his village in Liaoning

Over the past 24 years, Hou Gui has tirelessly dedicated himself to planting trees and protecting the forests up in the mountains, living in a simple house in the woods and rarely even looking at his phone.

If outsiders want to contact him, they have to call his wife first.

"The trees behind the fence are the ones I planted years ago," said Hou, pointing at a row of pines. "Even if the wind picks up, it's not going to move much sand anymore."