At 3 p.m. on June 2, under a crystal-clear sky, rows of photovoltaic panels stretched across the hillsides at CHN Energy Shendong Coal’s “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Practice and Innovation Base in Bu’ertai. Rising and falling with the terrain, the panels resembled a vast deep-blue ocean. Beneath them, waist-high alfalfa swayed in the breeze, creating waves of green across the landscape.
The photovoltaic area of the Bu’ertai Practice and Innovation Base
Seventy-one-year-old beekeeper Feng Erlin stood beside more than 100 beehives, carefully lifting out a honeycomb frame. As he watched the translucent, hexagonal honey cells glisten with an amber glow in the sunlight, a smile spread across his weathered face. “Look at this honey,” he said. “The color is excellent and it's crystal clear. Right now, the alfalfa is in full bloom, and the nectar is at its very best.”
Feng Erlin displays a honeycomb frame
Feng Erlin has spent 57 years keeping bees, with most of his life devoted to following blossoms and searching for nectar-rich landscapes. In the past, he migrated like a migratory bird each year, chasing springtime in search of quality forage for his bees. Seven years ago, however, he moved his hives into this photovoltaic area and has never wanted to leave. From sunrise to sunset, he and his son work according to the bees’ daily rhythm. Reflecting on the change, Feng said, “Ever since I found this treasure of a place in Bu’ertai, I spend most of the year here. It saves time and effort, and I no longer have to travel everywhere with my bees.”
His son, Feng Zezhong, has worked alongside his father for years and knows the trade well. Pouring a small cup of freshly harvested raw honey, he gestured toward the lush greenery covering the hills. “Bees are extremely sensitive to their environment. Clean air, healthy soil and water, and quality flowering plants are all essential. Who would have imagined that this place, once a mining subsidence area plagued by blowing sand and dust, would become such a paradise for beekeepers after vegetation returned in abundance?”
This haven for bees is the result of Shendong Coal’s long-term commitment to ecological restoration in its mining areas. Through systematic, integrated management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands and desertified land, the former subsidence zone has been transformed into an ecological forest covering 100,000 mu (about 6,667 hectares) and a 500-megawatt photovoltaic project. The elevated solar panels continuously generate clean electricity while providing wind protection, conserving moisture, and improving soil and water retention. Beneath them, vast fields of alfalfa flourish, supplying an exceptional source of nectar for bee colonies.
Feng Erlin opens a hive to harvest honey
Feng Zezhong calculated this year’s harvest with satisfaction. “The alfalfa grown beneath these solar panels is rich in protein and nutrients, which gives the honey a full-bodied flavor and outstanding quality. In the first half of this year alone, the honey produced here accounted for more than 70 percent of our total output.”
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, warm orange light spread across the hills and settled gently on Feng Erlin’s shoulders. The faint scent of honey clinging to his clothes blended with the fragrance of grass and the evening breeze. Looking at the more than 100 hives still buzzing with activity among the flowers, he spoke softly: “After spending half a lifetime on the road, I’ve finally found good mountains, good water and good flowers for my bees. This is the right place.”
Beneath the solar panels, his bees continued their work. The hum of their wings formed the most beautiful melody on this land—a story of transformation from a sea of coal to a green oasis, and the warmest, sweetest testament to how the principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” has taken root at CHN Energy and brought tangible benefits to local communities.
