Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a globally recognised approach to effectively addresses various challenges through the efficient use of natural resources and adaptive management of ecosystems. The construction of national ecological barriers in China is an example of NbS with distinctive Chinese characteristics. These ecological barriers have systematic, comprehensive and multi-scale characteristics, which are closely related to the objectives, approaches and interventions of NbS. Relative guidelines associated with NbS provide a comprehensive theoretical basis and practical framework. The Northern Sand Prevention Belt stretches across northern China, including six national key ecological function areas, and plays an important role in preventing encroachment of wind and sand. Through the implementation of a series of ecological protection and restoration projects in the region, an ecological barrier system has been formed, resulting in an increase in vegetation cover, a reduction in disasters, an increase in biodiversity and an overall improvement in the ecological quality of the region. However, it highlights the issues of ecological and social vulnerabilities, notable contradictions between ecological protection and resource use, the impact of human activities and climate change, the need to further strengthen the effectiveness of ecological governance, and weak awareness of public participation. The large spatial span of the Northern Sand Prevention Belt, the complexity of the ecosystem and the existence of complex ecological processes within it require the application of NbS for the integrated management of the region. Taking the construction of the ecological barrier belt of the Northern Sand Control Belt as an example, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the coupling relationship between NbS and ecological barriers, which share the same objectives in terms of solving major societal challenges, systemic thinking, ecological orientation, multi-objective synergy, spatial matching and process management. This path is underpinned by the theoretical foundation of pattern-process-scale and guided by the overarching goal of service-value-well-being. The principles of protection-restoration-management are applied to facilitate ecological protection and restoration efforts. A logical framework for the protection-restoration-management programme system is also proposed. It analysed the practical cases of the Northern Sand Prevention Belt, such as the Ulansuhai Nur Watershed in Inner Mongolia and the Kekeya Ecological Management Project in Xinjiang's Aksu Basin, and summarised the research directions, such as strengthening the research on the coupling mechanism of NbS elements under the background of ecological protection and restoration for the construction of ecological barriers in the Northern Sand Prevention Belt in the future, exploring the ways of applying the full life cycle of NbS concepts and technologies with the methods of effectiveness assessment, and promoting the synergy of ecological improvement and food security, water security, economic development and other multiple social challenges.