"I've come to Nanniwan, Nanniwan is a pleasant place. Everywhere are good crops, nice cattle and fat sheep..." On a recent trip to Nanniwan, many tourist groups spontaneously sang this famous folk song about a place steeped in Chinese history.

The place was once known as "Lanniwan," "lanni" meaning mud in Chinese. Today, it boasts the Nanniwan Scenic Area and beautiful terraced crop fields, which attract people from the surrounding cities to visit, camp and unwind.

Grain for green

While the city of Yan'an in Shaanxi province is known as the red capital of China, having been the cradle of China's political revolution, Nanniwan is located about 90 kilometers away from Yan'an and is known for being the cradle of farming development in the country.

Nanniwan's green story began 83 years ago, when Japanese aggression resulted in bombs raining down on Yan'an, unleashing widespread destruction. With food supplies critically low, an army  was sent to Lanniwan to improve food productivity. Men and women worked the fields with hoes, wove clothes, and rebuilt the area. In the process Lanniwan became known as Nanniwan.

As the People's Republic of China was established, many locals left Nanniwan, while others focused on industrial development. Nanniwan did not receive any environmental improvement for decades. However, things changed in the 1990s and the central government designated the city as the first pilot for the "Grain for Green" project, a nationwide reforestation campaign to tackle poverty in the rural areas and improve the ecological environment.

"Generations of people have planted trees in the mountains. One year, some trees died, so we planted more the next year. Now, we are finally seeing a lush green landscape," Ma Yanlong, a local resident, said.

Ma said although northern Shaanxi is an arid and semi-arid region, Nanniwan is a wetland system and compared to other northern areas, the soil in Yan'an is more suitable for vegetation growth and advantageous for afforestation.

Upgrading the area

The scenic area was earlier a quarry with no water. Over time trees were planted and waterways constructed, and five years ago, the Nanniwan Scenic Area was developed. It now has a lake with tall reeds, lotus flowers, and abundant fish life.

Now, it has an area of over 1,000 hectares, of which a little more than 400 hectares is designated as wetland, creating a wetland ratio of over 38 percent.

"In the old days, Nanniwan was just barren mountains and wild land," recalled a former teacher identified only as Su, who grew up in Nanniwan. "Today, it is the small Jiangnan of Shaanxi province." In China, Jiangnan is one of the most prosperous regions, with plenty of water and beautiful sights. Su said, "Rice is now grown in Nanniwan. The simple cave dwellings of the past have been renovated along with the memorial hall and other public facilities."

Su and his companion are proud of Nanniwan's progress. "The significant environmental improvements reflect China's progress," Su said. "This change represents not only material advancements but also a profound spiritual upliftment."

Better lives for the locals

A sanitation worker, who identified herself only by her surname Wang, said her life is much better now as she earns money by cleaning the scenic area. "Although the environment has improved, the downside is that the increased volume of water makes the winters colder," she said.

Fishing is a popular pastime for the residents. Some proudly showed their catch of large fish.

Another worker at the scenic area also called Wang, who was not a local resident but had a four-month work contract, said Nanniwan was no longer the stereotype. "I know Shaanxi is famous for the Loess Plateau, so I expected it to be mostly loess here. Instead, I found lush greenery and water here."