Editor's note: A total of 30 billion yuan ($4.47 billion) had been invested to protect the ecosystem of grassland in the region from 2011 to 2016. How have the efforts translated into a greener land there? Here is a look.

A herdsman pastures sheep on grassland in Xin Barag Youqi, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, July 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]