Sun Yingxiang: Lone forest ranger in southeast Yunnan

Two isolated cottages sit on a steep hillside, and they are surrounded by the dense forests, high mountains and deep valleys.

The cottages form the Yaorengou Taiwania Valley Forest Conservation Station (YTVFCS), one of the 20 plus remote forest stations in Shizong County, southeast Yunnan’s Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Sun Yingxiang, a local forest ranger, has been watching and caring for the forest zone alone for 14 years. 

Once you choose to do it, you should try your best

Located at a junction area between Shizong County, Qujing City, and Qiubei County, Wen Shan Prefecture, the Yaorengou valley houses the largest primitive Taiwania and wildlife source in Qujing City, and thus this area makes the bulk in local eco-system. 

The YTVFCS used to be staffed with three rangers, and Sun Yingxiang was one of them. Due to the poor condition, the inaccessibility and inconvenience of traveling, however, the other two quitted the job one after another.

But Sun chose to stay, and became the sole ranger in the valley. From 2004 on, he has been on his own caring the 2,000-hectare forest. As of now, he has shouldered the heavy workload for 14 years.

Forest fires happen frequently in the early spring, and he has to look into the valley and its surrounding mountains daily, making Sun’s workload even heavier. 

Trekking through the dense forest is exhausting and risky, but Sun carries a few tools when scouting -- a little hoe, a water bottle and a haversack. Over the past 14 years, walking through treacherous mountain forests has become his routine.

During the interview, Sun hoed the bush down and marched forward, while introducing the animal and plant varieties in the forest. After 20-kilometer trekking through the forest, some correspondents were out of energy but Sun calmly said: “It might be the easiest trail that I have ever trodden.”

Sun added each of his patrol in the mountain covers a distance of 20-30 kilometers. So far, he has been to almost everywhere in the forest, and he can even “find the way with his eyes blindfolded.”

In case of fire, Sun has to stay in the mountain and keep on watching for days. Once, a forest in the neighboring Qiube County was on fire, and the fire spot is close to Sun’s forest. As a result, Sun kept watching the fire around the clock for three days. Finally, a local forestry center staff brought him some water and bread, which Sun took as “a feast”.

Thanks to Sun’s devotion to the forest, not even a single fire has ever occurred in his forest for more than a decade, nor has stealthy felling or appropriation of the forest land been found. Sun’s effort was recognized by local forestry authorities, and he has held the title of “model worker” for several years.

But Sun does not think much of what he has done. “Once you choose to do it, you should try your best and go through with it,” he said. “Otherwise, you should quit.”