The Mountain Guardian

By staff reporter LI GUOWEN

ZIXI County of Jiangxi Province is an enclave of profuse green， with 87.3 percent of its territory covered in woods. In past years， the region has increased efforts to preserve its lush mountains to strive for green development. Wu Kesheng， a veteran ranger， is one of the many who lead this demanding mission.

Wu has lived in Zixi for nearly 60 years， and worked at the Matou （Horse Head） Mountain Forest Farm， which covers 11，000 hectares of primeval forests， until his retirement three years ago. Today， he still maintains the habit of patrolling the mountain once a week. “I have been doing it for decades， and staying away from the mountain for a long time makes me sick，” he explained.

From Logger to Ranger

In the 1970s and 1980s， Zixis economy largely depended on natural resources. Logging and wood and bamboo processing were a main source of revenue for this county that was at one time listed as the least developed region in China.

In 1971， Wu Kesheng， just 16 years old， joined the Matou Mountain Forest Farm， and was responsible for a variety of jobs including growing seedlings， logging， and wood and bamboo processing. He remembered that as a lumberman in 1979 he was required to meet the annual quota of felling 100 cubic meters of trees. “My salary was tied to my workload， the more I logged， the more I earned，” he recalled.

Wu had become an apt woodcutter by 1980， exceeding his work quota for successive years. His feat of 240 or more cubic meters a year won him high esteem in the industry in the region. For economic gains and the honor of their farm， Wu and his colleagues often worked extra hours wielding saws and axes.

Zixi， however， changed its development course in the 1990s， putting forward the strategy of development through preserving eco-environment and promoting green development. In response， the Matou Mountain Forest Farm began to gradually cut back on logging. And Wus work responsibility shifted to forest building and protection.

Preservation became more pressing after the Matou Mountain was designated a provincial-level nature reserve in 2001， and then promoted to state level in 2008. To minimize the impact of human activities on the eco-environment， the local government relocated more than 5，000 residents of three villages out of the core region of the nature reserve.

Due to his record of excellent performance， Wu was promoted to chief of the Jijiaocha Station that overlooks a stretch of primitive forests on the mountain. His responsibilities included preventing and combating illegal logging， detecting fire hazards， and inspecting trees for diseases and pest attacks. Every day after breakfast， three of the four staff members of the station set out for the daily 40-km or more patrol， and would not return until sunset.

On one occasion， Wu and his team spotted eight farmers illegally felling trees. They tried to bribe Wu with RMB 500， which was more than his monthly salary. Wu however rejected it outright， and called the police.

It is the dedication of Wu and his fellow rangers in Zixi that has helped the countys green coverage expand to the current 87.3 percent. According to Zhan Xiaowu， chief of the local forestry department， the county now has 265 full-time rangers and 50 forest policemen and firefighters.

Eco-tourism and Under-Forest Economy

Having spent his entire life in the Matou Mountain， Wu Kesheng is a walking map of the region. After the nature reserve was established， he doubled as a ranger and guide for expectant investors and scientific explorers.

In June 2002， Wu led a business delegation from Hainan Province to study tourism resources in the mountain， and was caught in a sudden storm on the way. On several occasions， delegation members slipped in torrential rainwater flushing down the slope， and Wu risked his life to get them out. It was not until 7 pm that the group trudged out the woods with Wu leading them to safety.

Li Qiming， head of the delegation， was struck by the zest and zeal of Wu Kesheng， and decided to invest in a scenic spot in the Dajue Mountain， which is now a 5A resort. Every summer， tourists from home and abroad flock to the resort for rafting adventures through its canyons.

As more investors are drawn to Zixi by its rich eco-tourism resources， many come to Wu for consultation on where to find the fastest river， which peak has the best view， and which valley offers a peaceful environment for health regimen programs.

Wu also accompanies scientists of various realms in their field studies in the mountains， and has accrued rich knowledge about local wildlife in the process. He knows more than 1，000 plant species in the nature reserve and their medical benefits； and his advice helped the county be selected as a site for the wild acclimation of South China tigers. Through his connection with the academic circle built in these tours， Wu invited experts to give lectures in Zixi to local ranchers and entrepreneurs and help solve their problems in farming and breeding operations.

Honorary Mountain Chief

In recent years， Zixi has introduced the “mountain chief system” in which leading officials at the county， township， and village levels are appointed superintendents of the mountains in their respective jurisdictions and subject to stringent assessment. Through better collaboration among different government departments and broader participation of the public， the system is conducive to the long-term preservation of forestry resources. Due to his dedication to the Matou Mountain that has extended into his retirement， Wu Kesheng was elected by local residents as the honorary mountain chief.

With only a primary school education， Wu has been learning diligently throughout his career. Few know the primeval forests in Matou Mountain better than him， including the topography， fauna， and flora. Many scholars and scientists acknowledged that he is well positioned to coach postgraduate students in these areas. On the merit of his outstanding job performance， Wu was elected a model worker of Jiangxi Province in 2005 and a model citizen of China in May 2014.

After retirement he continues to patrol the mountain as a volunteer ranger. “I will miss dearly every tree and grass after being away from the mountain for one month. It is like an old friend to me，” Wu said. This bond with the mountain and nature at large is what has motivated him to safeguard it for more than 40 years.