The Golden Valley is a dazzling 48-km belt in Zuoquan County in Shanxi Province， north China， named so after its variety of trees with bright yellow leaves that look like gold. They include the fast-growing Siberian elm， the Chinese scholar tree that is used in herbal medicine， and the evergreen golden euonymus. The adult trees were planted along the belt since the beginning of this year as part of the afforestation drive that has now created a uniquely enchanting scenery to boost the local tourism industry.
　　According to Zheng Rui， an official from the forestry bureau of Zuoquan， afforestation has been carried out in wasteland， on barren mountain slopes， and in ravines for ecological restoration. The afforestation project， covering over 65 hectares， has been implemented by 27 poverty alleviation afforestation cooperatives.
　　Afforestation contributes to poverty alleviation by producing timber and generating jobs. Feng Yanqing， 55， is a migrant worker from Longquan， a township in Zuoquan. He works as a forest guard to prevent illegal felling of trees and encroachment. He earns 3，000 yuan（$451.3） a month from the job.
　　Longquan is one of the main seedling bases， covering 15 villages. According to Ju Xiaohua， Secretary of the Communist Party of China Longquan Township Committee， the area， due to its high altitude， suffers from long periods of frost， making agriculture difficult. So many farmers simply abandoned their land.
　　The project has rented the abandoned land from the farmers， which has boosted the income of more than 200 households in five villages. The bases have pavilions， platforms to view the surrounding scenery， and trails for sightseers.
　　In addition， orchards have been created in adjacent areas for agricultural tourism. Tourists can admire peach and apricot blossoms in spring， and pick apples， grapes and cherries in the harvest season. There are more scenic spots nearby， such as the Longquan Forest Park.
　　Wen Huixian， deputy head of Zuoquan， said the Golden Valley provides jobs for more than 1，400 villagers， creating an average per-capita income of about 6，000 yuan （$902.5）.