Wang Tianchang and his family moved into the Gobi Desert 22 years ago. They have been fighting the desert ever since，（become）a symbol of China's anti-desertification（防治荒漠化）campaign.
Wang Tianchang, native of Gansu Province, grew up with the Gobi Desert. In 1998, Wang's family moved into the desert. They started planting bushes and saplings (树苗) To fund their efforts, they sold most of their farm animals and were left with only 6 sheep to support themselves. To make matters (bad) because they weren't familiar with the environment, the trees they planted in the first two years (blow) away by strong winds. But they learned, they adapted and they started over. In time, they learned that adaptable grasses were ideal for "holding down the sand". A bush (know) as the sweet-vetch has an 80 percent survival rate even in severe desert conditions, has become a key part of the Wangs' efforts.
Now, despite suffering from serious health (issue) and being in his late 70s, Wang has no plans (abandon) his mission. His efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Chinese government not only appointed Tianchang and his sons forest ranchers (场主) in 2015, but also started funding their work. The family home is surrounded by (beauty) vegetable garden, proving that land can in fact be transformed from the desert.
