Across China: Blind man and his armless friend turn wasteland to oasis

Spending 13 years to turn a wasteland into an oasis is an inconceivable task for ordinary people, let alone for an elderly blind man and his friend who has no arms.

However, the 54-year-old sightless Jia Haixia and 53-year-old armless Jia Wenqi from north China's Hebei Province have made it.

The duo changed a land covered in nothing but rocks and weeds into a forest in Yeli Village of Jingxing County by planting more than 10,000 trees.

Jia Haixia was born with congenital cataract which left his left eye blind. The sight in the other eye was lost after an accident at work in 2000. His friend and neighbor, Jia Wenqi, lost both arms after being electrocuted at the age of three.

"It seemed impossible for us to find jobs, so we decided to brace up and face the misfortunes of life," Jia Wenqi said.

In 2002, they noticed a vacant lot near the riverbank and got approval of villagers committee to plant trees there for the purpose of "earning some money" and supporting their families.

Unfortunately, the ambitious plan lacked money and saplings were expensive. Wracking their brains, the pair decided instead to prune branches from grown trees across the lot's river and plant them to create new life.

It was a physically demanding job. Jia Haixia climbed large trees to prune branches under the guidance of his armless companion, who had to carry his sightless friend, tools and branches on his back across the river several times every day.

"I often fell into the river at the very beginning. Now I can walk stably on the slippery and cold river bottom," Jia Wenqi said.

Every day, Jia Haixia used drills to dig holes, while Jia Wenqi put the branch into the hole and watered them with his toes. Their lunch usually consisted of cold steamed buns and water.

However, arduous work does not necessarily mean immediate returns. In the first year, they planted 800 tree branches, but only two survived.

"Villagers laughed at us. They said this land was impossible to conserve water and soil. Planting trees? How stupid!" Jia Haixia recalled.

But they decided to start over and came up with another idea -- pumping water from the river to their land. When the water flowed into the land, their baby trees started to bud.

"I was unable to see the color of the buds, and my friend couldn't touch them. So he described the details of each tree to me, and I told him how I felt when I touched them," said Jia Haixia.

Over time, the duo's attitudes also changed.

They became reluctant to cut trees down and sell them. The trees were like their children and gave them a glimpse of hope because they know they can do something for others.

Despite the daunting nature of the task, the pair's success has spurred them to continue their work. They recently contracted another plot of land in the nearby mountains and use their experience to transform the barren landscape.

Their second project may prove to be a lesser challenge, however, as Jia Haixia was told by doctors he may regain sight in his left eye.

"People say we contribute to the ecology. I don't understand what 'ecology' means. What I only know is that handicapped people are not useless," Jia Haixia said. Endi