Lan Haijun (left)

A 45-year-old farmer in Tongyu County, Jilin province has grown a 7,000-hectare forest using an investment of 18 million RMB ($2.6 million), in a bid to improve the local environment.

The philanthropic act of the man, Lan Haijun, started from a bet made with a local leader in 2008. The leader argued that trees could not survive in Tongyu County's sandy Dongtai Village. However, Lan asserted that he could grow a forest in the desert.

That same year, Lan contracted 30 hectares of wasteland for the price of 600,000 RMB. On the land, Lan later planted 78,000 poplars. Though many of the trees blew over, 95 percent had survived by the end of the year.

Since then, Lan has invested 18 million RMB in forestation. The land he has cultivated covers an area of 7,000 hectares. As a result, sand breaks have improved the soil quality, increasing the land's yield. Lan has also been recognized by the local government for his generous act.