Ting Baatar, a delegate from North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, shared his stories about eco-protection and poverty alleviation in the pastoral areas there during an interview at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 16.

He has lived in Sarulatuya village in the Xiliin Gol League for 48 years since he first came there at the age of 19.

At that time, the village had mostly sandy land and no roads or electricity. The harsh environment and living conditions back then are unimaginable today.

When asked why he stayed there for such a long time, Ting Baatar said he wanted to help the herdsmen there to have a much better life.

He researched and experimented and over the long term found out that the economic value of one cow was equivalent to five sheep.

But a cow rolls its tongue to eat the grass tips, which does not affect the growth of the grass, he found. Sheep, however, dig the roots out as they eat, destroying the growth.

As a result, it was obvious that raising a single cow would damage the grassland much less than five sheep.

Based on his insights and experience, he led the herdsmen to graze and raise livestock in a scientific way. Due to these efforts, the grassland's ecosystem improved, leading to increased prosperity and enabling the herdsmen to lead a modern life like urban people.

Today, Sarulatuya village has repaired its roads, has a regular power supply and has built a signal tower. The herdsmen use drones and mobile phones to graze without leaving home.

What's more, the children of the herdsmen are now returning to the village after graduating from university to build their own homes.