US teacher reunites with Chinese desertification hero after 26 years

A flight carrying 69-year-old retired American teacher Ronald Sakolsky landed at Beijing Capital International Airport early Sunday morning, marking his return to China after 26 years, China News Service reported.

"I am back. I am an old man, but I am not tired," Sakolsky said cheerfully, waving to reporters at the airport.

In 1999, while teaching English in a Luoyang school, Sakolsky was deeply moved by the story of Yin Yuzhen, acclaimed as China's desertification hero. He tirelessly raised $5,000 to support her tree-planting initiative in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Twenty-six years later, that initial donation funds have transformed into over 50,000 mature trees across Maowusu, the fourth largest sandy area in China.

With the help of netizens, Yin successfully located Sakolsky online in May. Their conversation online after 26 years gained widespread attention and sparked plans for a reunion offline. 

According to local authorities, after a brief rest in Beijing, Sakolsky will continue his journey to Ordos at around 5 pm today, where Yin will welcome him at the airport.

On Monday, the duo will visit Uxin Banner, the place where Sakolsky first saw Yin planting trees. On the afternoon of the same day and throughout Tuesday, they will engage in interactions and visit a fruit cultivation base there.

Sakolsky's trip to China will run through Sept 1 and includes visits to Henan and Beijing.