Bare mountains turn green again through ecological restoration in SW China's Sichuan

This aerial photo shows a mining site after ecological restoration in a cycad national nature reserve in Panzhihua, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

The city of Panzhihua, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, boasts China's only national-level cycad nature reserve, with over 385,000 cycad plants.

Local authorities and Panzhihua Iron and Steel have stepped up efforts to protect cycad plants, amid the city's green development and endeavors to restore ecosystems.

Mining has been stopped in the reserve. Mountains that used to be bare due to the mining have turned green again.

This photo shows a cycad plant in a cycad national nature reserve in Panzhihua, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

This photo shows a cycad plant in a cycad national nature reserve in Panzhihua, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

This aerial photo shows a paved road in a mining site after ecological restoration in a cycad national nature reserve in Panzhihua, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

This aerial photo shows a mining site after ecological restoration in a cycad national nature reserve in Panzhihua, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)