3.6 million hectares (36,000 km2) new forests in China in 2021

China has planted new forests at the size of about the Netherlands last year. Last weekend was China’s National Tree Planting Day (March 12). This National Day goes way back to 1915 when a forestry official designated Qingming Festival (or Tomb Sweeping Festival) as national tree planting day. After the death of statesman Sun Yat-sen, a foremost advocate for forestation, on March 12, 1925, the annual tree planting day was changed to March 12.

In February 1979, the 5th National People's Congress of People Republic of China made a resolution that enforced March 12th as Chinese Tree-Planting Day including policies of stimulating the whole country to carry out tree-planting activities and support the construction of forestry. It was also the official launch of the Three-North Shelter Forest Program (started in 1978), better known as the “Great Green Wall”, world’s largest forestation project which is still ongoing and expected to be completed by 2050. More than 66 billion trees have been planted in the past 40-50 years.

Besides 3.6 million hectares new forest, 400,000 hectares farmland were returned to forest and grasslands in 2021.

China’s 2022 afforestation objective is 6.4 million new forests and grasslands.

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