Baotou City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has comprehensively advanced ecological restoration, infrastructure upgrades, and water ecosystem management at the Saihantal Urban Prairie scenic area since the beginning of 2026, breathing new life into this vast urban grassland.
Known as the "green lung" of the city, Saihantal Urban Prairie retains a native grassland ecosystem and serves as a vital ecological space for recreation, leisure, and wellness activities for residents.
The ecological restoration project has taken wormwood grass control as a key task. Wormwood grass is an annual plant that proliferates rapidly after rainfall, said Du Hua, a senior forestry and grassland engineer in Baotou. Its spread not only disrupts the original vegetation structure of the grassland but also affects residents' health through pollen emissions, added Du.
Guided by the principles of source control, long-term suppression, and ecological safety, the city recently launched a wormwood grass removal campaign, with more than 100 government officials, employees, and volunteers joining forces to remove the plant, helping control the vegetation and protect the grassland environment.
"Wormwood grass control is one of the core components of the ecological restoration project and an important measure responding to public expectations," said Zhang Wenying, an official of the Baotou Forestry and Grassland Bureau.
The restoration project covers a total area of 9,420 mu (628 hectares), including 2,170 mu (about 145 hectares) of forestland restoration, 6,370 mu (about 425 hectares) of grassland restoration, and 880 mu (about 59 hectares) of wetland restoration. The integrated restoration of forests, grasslands, and wetlands aims to enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the area's ecosystem and promote its natural ecological balance, said Zhang.
Infrastructure upgrades are also progressing in the scenic area, including renovations of transportation systems, public service facilities, and landscape attractions, so as to better meet visitors' needs and transform ecological gains into tangible public benefits.
In terms of water ecosystem management, the construction of artificial wetlands and regional reclaimed-water reuse facilities is being carried out simultaneously. Upon completion, the wetland project is expected to yield water meeting China's Class IV surface-water quality standard. It will help alleviate shortages of irrigation water for grassland greening, address dried-up river channels, suppress wormwood grass growth, and restore aquatic ecosystems, achieving a win-win outcome for both water resource recycling and ecological conservation. (Edited by Li Xueqing with Xinhua Silk Road, lixueqing@xinhua.org)
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