Several decades ago, the hills of Changting in China's Fujian province were barren, eroded and emblematic of environmental degradation.

A visit by Xi Jinping, then deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee and acting governor, in 1999, sparked a monumental turnaround.

He made comprehensive soil erosion control as one of 15 key livelihood improvement projects of Fujian. During his tenure in the province, he conducted five in-depth investigations in Changting.

Today, the hills of Changting stand transformed into a lush, thriving landscape — a testament to what local residents call "the vision of ecological civilization of President Xi Jinping".