More than half of the land in Zhangjiakou’s Chongli District, the ground for most ski events of Beijing 2022, is covered by forests, according to the district government.

Forests have amounted to nearly 1.93 million mu or 128,700 hectares, accounting for 54.89 percent of Chongli’s land, thanks to constant forestation in recent years, the government said.

In the 1960s forests only covered 15 percent of Chongli’s land. Sandstorms in spring and floods in summer were often reported. The government began to appropriate budgets for planting trees in the 1970s to improve the local environment. The endeavor has expanded significantly since Beijing announced to bid for the 2022 Games.

Chongli, 220 kilometres to the north of Beijing, is also one of the main drinking water sources for the capital city.