Yuquan Mountain, once a barren area damaged by widespread mining, has been turned into a forest park after the planting of 5.5 million trees thanks to the efforts of a private company owned and run by a military veteran.

The mountain, in a suburb of Taiyuan, capital of northern China's Shanxi province, used to be the site of about 100 mines and quarries, as well as seven refuse dumps.

"When people returned from the mountain, they were covered in dust and dirt," said Chang Chunsheng, a villager who lives at the foot of the mountain. He said construction waste was scattered everywhere on the mountain.