An aerial photo shows a seedling base in Pinglu district, Shuozhou city, Shanxi province, Aug 8. Located in the eastern part of the loess plateau, which has suffered from frequent sandstorms and barren areas in the past, Shuozhou has put considerable resources into eco-restoration projects since 1989. The city has built a greenbelt covering 20,000 hectares around Youyu county, reclaimed over 2,666 hectares of land that was previously used for coal mining, and improved the water quality from Shentou Spring in the city’s Shuocheng district. [Photo/sxrb.com]

A couple pick tomatoes at a greenhouse situated on land that is previously used for coal mining and has since undergone eco-restoration work, Aug 8. The restoration project helped reclaim land covering an area of over 2,666 hectares in Shuozhou. [Photo/sxrb.com]