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Environmental Activities

Hitachi

4. Cross-border Exchanges on the Environment

The Horqin Desert Greening Volunteer Tour gave its participants the chance to experience not only tree planting but also maintenance work including pruning and irrigation. Another benefit from the trip was the opportunity it provided to exchange opinions about the environment with the Chinese people in a way that transcended borders.

Meeting Students from the Japanese Language Faculty at Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities

[Image] Meeting Students from the Japanese Language Faculty at Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities

[Image] Everyone is a fan of Japanese history and culture!

Students from the Japanese Language Faculty at Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities:
The second year students Zhang Yisi, Li Bo, Yu Junhua, and Yang Jingyuan (shown from the left) joined the team from Hitachi Group to help with the greening project.

[Image] Ms. Jan Isu

The environment has become an issue of concern around the world. In talking to the people from Hitachi Group I learnt that they are involved in all sorts of different things. I would like to think that I too could do something in my day-to-day life to help the environment and I hope to put this into practice.

[Image] Ms. Li Bo

I have had a personal interest in the environment for some time. This chance to be involved in the greening project work with the people from Hitachi Group was very meaningful. The bucket relay in particular is a memory I will never forget.

[Image] Ms. Yu Chunfan

Although working in the desert was very tiring, it was a very enjoyable experience. While I had heard about the Horqin Desert from sources such as my university lessons and TV programs, having actually participated in the greening work has allowed me to think about it more deeply.

[Image] Ms. Yan Chunyun

I hadn't given environmental problems that much thought in the past. But spending time with the people from Hitachi Group has made me realize the importance of protecting the environment. I want to make an effort to help protect the environment, not only in China but for the whole planet.

[Image] Satsuki Ishii (Teacher from the Japanese Language Faculty)

[Image] Teacher is one of the few Japanese living in Tongliao

Satsuki Ishii (Teacher from the Japanese Language Faculty):
The teacher who came along with the four students was Japanese. Having arrived as an overseas student to learn Chinese, Ishii-san ended up staying as a teacher. She provided us with a wonderful conduit between Japan and China.

Village Mayor Responsible for Managing the Hitachi Construction Machinery Forest

[Image] Mayor Shanda of Harasutai Village resplendent

[Image] I have spoken to each person in the village about the significance of the greening work

Mayor Shuang De of Harasutai Village resplendent in his leather hat with its Genghis Khan design:
The "Hitachi Construction Machinery Forest" was created in Harasutai Village which is afflicted by increasing desertification.

[Image] Mayor Shanda

Harasutai Village, where I was born, was experiencing more and more desertification to the point where most of the village people had shifted out. Then I heard that restoring vegetation could allow us to return to our previous lifestyle. I spoke night after night to each person in the village and we decided to put the village forward to become involved in the greening project.
It was hard work to convince people, but now everyone is glad.

Working with the Local Horqin Staff

[Image] Mr. Han Yu

[Image] When I was a child, Horqin was a beautiful grassland

As he works, Han Yu tells us about the time when Horqin was a broad grassland:
He tells us how he remembers the fright he once had when wolves came.

[Image] Mr. Han Yu

Frankly, in the early days there was a time when I wondered why Japanese people were coming all this way to plant trees in the desert. There were rumors that maybe there was gold or treasure or oil.
But after talking to the people, I realized that this was our own problem. As the people most affected, we needed to work even harder than the Japanese. Now my son is also helping.

[Image] Bao Serugeren(left), Jan Aiuei(Right)

Left: Bao Sirigulen
Right: Zhang Aiwei
Two of the staff we became good friends with during our stay. "Siri!" or "Zhang!" we would call out to them by their first names, and some of us even challenged them to a round of Mongolian Sumo. They were very strong and won every bout.

Interacting with the Local People

We also had the chance to speak with some of the local residents. These included a mother with her child and a member of the hotel staff who was learning Japanese. Despite their initial shyness they slowly opened up and spoke with us freely.

[Image] A lady who teaches at the local middle school and her son

Mother and child:
She told us how she was a teacher at the local middle school. When we asked her about the greening project volunteers from Japan, she knew all about us and commented that we were doing "really wonderful work".

[Image] Ms. Tei Shunkei who works at Hotel near by Horqin desert

Tei Shunkei who had studied Japanese at Dalian University and now works at the hotel where we were staying.
When talking to the greening project volunteers, she was very interested and asked us to "tell me more about the greening work".

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