BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- In the mystical clasp of the Changbai Mountains in northeast China, a sanctuary harboring one of Asia's best-preserved temperate forests, a botanist has committed four decades exploring the dense, primeval woodlands to decode the secrets of the region's botanical treasures.
This person is Zhou You, a professor with the Tonghua Normal University. Armed with cameras and an unwavering spirit, he works in the field for at least 180 days per year, capturing over 450,000 digital images of indigenous plants through his lens. His work has constructed a pioneering visual and scholarly archive, forever changing people's understanding of the region's botanical heritage.
Born into a humble household near the Changbai Mountains, Zhou started going up to the mountains at an early age to gather medicinal herbs to help his family make ends meet.
These experiences have sown the seeds of enduring fascination with the plant kingdom, and nurtured a growing aspiration in him to compile a comprehensive book that would serve as a visual encyclopedia of the plants indigenous to the Changbai Mountains, providing reference to people when collecting and using them.
After obtaining his biology degree in 1983, Zhou chose a teaching post in a county at the southern foot of the Changbai Mountains, a strategic move that enabled him to pursue his botanical studies alongside his profession.
While teaching, Zhou used his spare time to collect plant specimens, amassing over 1,000 varieties over several years. It was through this diligent and tenacious research that Zhou repeatedly stumbled upon the Phyllitis Japonica, a second-class nationally protected plant.
A decade later, his contribution has earned him a position at the Tonghua Normal University. Initially a lab technician, he was thrilled, as the role provided ample opportunities for fieldwork. His department head's support, including the provision of a camera, propelled Zhou onto the path of dedicated botanical research.
For decades, Zhou has tramped across the northeastern region, leaving his footprints in over 100 national nature reserves along the way. He has ventured solo into the wilderness, including the bear-inhabited Great Khingan Mountains, the treacherous tundra of the Changbai Mountains, and the searing Hunshanke sandy land, facing countless perils.
His journal recounts an encounter in September 2000 with a charging black bear while photographing the endangered Rhododendron Beanianum in the high-altitude forests. Miraculously, the bear sensed no threat and left, leaving Zhou unscathed.
Besides external dangers, Zhou has also battled health issues stemming from an irregular diet and stress, including gallbladder, shoulder, and intestinal inflammations, prostate troubles, and hypertension. His families noticed an intriguing pattern -- Zhou's weight swayed between 75 and 100 kg every year, depending on whether he was on field trips or hibernating at home busy writing.
Undeterred by these obstacles, Zhou carried two to three DSLR cameras daily, photographing plant specimens, collecting botanical data, mapping distributions, surveying their habitats, and identifying plant communities. Over the years, he has worn out 10 professional cameras.
Zhu Junyi, president of Tonghua Normal University, lauded Zhou's decade-long fieldwork, highlighting its essential and painstaking nature that the scientific community greatly needs. "His numerous accomplishments, amassed over three to four decades, may seem elementary, yet they demand a fortitude of spirit that few can consistently maintain," Zhu said.
Nevertheless, Zhou's dedication bore fruits. Over the years, he has authored nine comprehensive academic works. In 2022, his long-awaited "Atlas of Medical Plant Resource in the Northeast of China" was published, featuring 5.5 million characters detailing 219 families and 801 genera of medicinal plants indigenous to northeastern China. The book has garnered the nation's top publication award.
Li Wenhua, an eminent Chinese forest ecologist, once hailed one of Zhou's tree-focused books as a notable contribution to scientific research. "It plays a pivotal role in the exploitation, management and preservation of wild tree resources in northeast China and the whole of Northeast Asia," Li said.
In 2023, Zhou was given the title of "Good Samaritans of China," an award initiated in 2008 to honor grassroots heroes, for his dedication and contribution.
Retirement has not slowed Zhou down as he plans to continue his fieldwork in the northwest, southwest, central south, and east regions as part of his nationwide botanical expeditions. "By the age of 75, I intend to complete a colored atlas of economic plants across China, encompassing 100,000 photos of 10,000 species," Zhou said. ■
