Zhang Lianyin introduces sapling growth knowledge and planting skills to students of Southeast Primary School in Zuoyun County on June 19, 2021. (Photo by Ding Meining)
BEIJING, Mar. 12 -- Zhang Lianyin, former Deputy Commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hebei Provincial Military Command and recipient of the title Role Model of the Times, died of illness at the age of 80 at 1:43 pm on March 10, 2024, in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of North China's Hebei Province.
Zhang Lianyin was born in a small mountain village in Zuoyun County of Datong City, North China's Shanxi Province in January 1945. His father died when he was four years old, and his mother remarried when he was six. After his grandparents passed way, he became an orphan at the age of 13. The villagers raised him up until 1964, when he joined the army.
After that, he grew from an ordinary soldier all the way to a general of the country.
His hometown Zuoyun County was desertification-stricken. There was a saying, "the wind blows for a whole year, from spring to winter."
After leaving service, Zhang, full of gratitude to his folks, went back to his hometown with his entire savings of 300,000 yuan and his wife, Wang Xiulan, to plant trees. They got up every morning before sunrise, working hard with workers on the bare mountains to care for the saplings.
Zhang planted more than 3,000 mu (around 200 hectares) of trees from 2004 to 2010, making the sky turn blue and the water turn clean in Zhangjiachang village. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011 and had his right lung lobe removed.
Escaped from the threat of death, Zhang was still tough and firm. "I must go back to plant trees. I promised 5,000 mu of trees, and I still owe them over 500 mu. As a soldier, I can't break my word," he said.
Zhang went back to Zhangjiachang village despite the opposition of the doctor and his family. He planted trees with his shovel on the mountains during the day and returned to the house for infusion treatment at night.
In May 2014, the goal of planting 5,000 mu (around 333 hectares) of trees was completed, but his condition deteriorated further and was diagnosed with bone metastasis of lung cancer. "After my death, please bury me in woods that I planted", said Zhang.
During the 20 years after he returned to hometown, Zhang planted more than 2.2 million trees in the area totaling 22,000 mu (1467 hectares) with his team, creating an ecological system worth of more than 60 million yuan. Instead of pursuing fame or profit, he spent all his savings on afforestation and donated the entire outcome of his work to the village.
In October 2021, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee awarded him the honorary title of "Role Model of The Times". He is called by the netizens as the "green general" and "tree commander".
This photo taken on October 1, 2021 shows that previous barren mountains have turned into waves of pines. (Photo by Ding Meining)