Tiemuer Batu is an ordinary herdsman in Menkeqing Gacha, southwest of Jasag on the northeast border of Mu Us Desert, Ordos, with a total of 190,000 mu of land covered with yellow sand. Whenever the wind comes, the farmland is buried underneath and pastures ruined, reducing the living space of people.

In 1989, he got the idea of planting trees. At that time, there was no seedling and he asked around to fetch some 100 seedling from Taigemiao, dozens of kilometers away. Due to the underdevelopment of transportation, it took him one day to get the seedling back with donkey-driven carriages. He planted them overnight, but the seedlings were blown down by a sand-laden wind the next day. And he planted them again and again. Since then, he has planted over 2,000 aspens and willows and over 1,000 mu of Salix psammophila.

In 2003, Western Development Initiative was adopted and Batu contracted over 3,000 mu of barren land. He was confident and motivated and spent long hours on planting trees. His actions motivated the villagers and waves of afforestation spread across Gacha. Today's Gacha village has been transformed into a fully green place.