Horqin Sandy Land is a major source of sandstorms in Northern China, especially the Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan Region. A series of ecological restoration projects including the ‘Grain for Green Project’, the ‘Beijing and Tianjin Sandstorm Source Controlling Project’, and the ‘Three-North Shelterbelt Project’ were implemented in this region. This study assesses the effectiveness of ecological restoration projects within Tongliao City, the main body of Horqin Sandy Land. The different treatment effects of various sand dunes were assessed and compared based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from SPOT VEGETATION Ten Daily Synthesis Archive from 1999 to 2007 and the desert distribution map of China in 2000. The results showed that: (1) the fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes were the main sand dune types, which accounted for 70% of the entire sand dune area in 2000; followed by shifting sand dunes and the semi-shifting sand dunes. (2) The ecological restoration projects resulted in improvements of different sand dune types, the improved area covered 76% of the sand dune area, mainly in the southern parts of the study area. The vegetation cover of the sand dunes in Naiman Banner, Hure Banner and the south of Horqin Left Back Banner increased significantly. While mild improvement occurred in the central sand dunes of the study area. (3) The area with degraded vegetation accounted for approximately 10% of sand dune area, mainly located in the southeast of Jarud Banner and the west of Horqin Left Middle Banner. Most of these areas showed mild and insignificant degradation except for a small area of moderate degradation. (4) The types of sand dunes in degraded status were mainly the fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes, followed by the semi-shifting sand dunes and saline-alkali land. The lower the dune fixity (e.g. shifting or semi-shifting versus semi-fixed or fixed) and the more likely to contribute to sand-storms, the greater the effectiveness of restoration projects. Finally, some implications for the sustainable development of the ecological restoration projects are discussed.