Trees planted to form a barricade to pollution

More green plants are standing sentry on the outskirts of Beijing as authorities attempt to reduce pollution and make the city a more pleasant place to live.

By the end of October, more than 13 million trees had been planted over 138 sq km, mostly around the Sixth Ring Road.

The area was equal to more than 83 percent of the target the capital's forestry bureau had set for the project this year.

"Northwestern winds that hit the capital in winter usually bring sand and dust from the north to downtown," said Wang Shuqin, deputy director of the landscape and forestry bureau for the city's Yanqing district.

Newly planted poplars, pagoda trees and grass will help to reduce the pollution that at times fouls the air in Beijing's downtown, she said.

The 250-sq-km afforestation project is mainly being carried out in bordering areas between urban and rural parts of the city. It is meant to act as a protective screen and shield the city from the sand and dust that periodically blows into it from neighboring provinces.

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