SEA Hi! Forum | Li Jingsheng: Discovering the Value of Beautiful Countryside Ecology | Countryside | Discovering
Building a "beautiful countryside" is not for the sake of beauty. Although everyone has different values towards beauty, they all resonate with things that are truly beautiful.
The beauty of rural areas is first and foremost the harmonious beauty created by humans using natural elements, which is achieved through the diverse values of nature, economy, society, and culture. At present, there is a huge two-way demand between urban and rural areas, which will bring many opportunities to the development of rural areas, further enrich the industrial structure of rural areas, bring more employment opportunities to rural areas, increase farmers' income, and inject more new elements into the "beautiful countryside". However, how to organically integrate these new elements into the construction of beautiful countryside, while inheriting the wisdom of traditional agricultural civilization, and making beauty the driving force of rural revitalization, is a very worthwhile research topic.
So how does "beauty" interact with industry, and how can "beauty" increase production, increase value, and help rural revitalization? The villages in Shanghai are all suburban villages within the one hour living circle of the metropolis, and they are a part of urban life. Suburban villages have complex functions and need to bear the transfer of urban functions and the needs of citizens; Farmers have a very high degree of part-time employment, with diverse income and skills, and have developed from a single agriculture to a diversified industry. The countryside in the suburbs of Shanghai is not only a part of urban ecological services and a showcase of traditional agricultural civilization, but also a place for the development of culture, education, and technological innovation. The construction of beautiful countryside is a practical process of diverse participation and common growth.
The rural areas in the main grain producing areas play a huge role in ensuring national food security. These places are more suitable for mechanized large-scale production and are a grand agricultural landscape and production scene, forming a land landscape with a clean and orderly beauty.
In rural areas near mountainous areas, due to scattered arable land and abundant biodiversity resources, it is not possible to fully guide agriculture with an industrialized approach, and it is necessary to develop village value from multiple aspects. For example, in a village in Shanxi, large-scale cultivation is not possible and it is suitable for small-scale cultivation of drought resistant miscellaneous grains. However, even so, these crops and fruits will be eaten by wild animals such as boars, rabbits, and magpies, resulting in reduced agricultural production. Through the adjustment of planning ideas, some plantation areas will be opened up to attract wild animals, making the appearance of wild animals a landscape and attracting urban residents to watch. At the same time, villagers are encouraged to operate some restaurants and homestays to increase income, organically integrate primary and tertiary industries, and turn natural resources into income. This is the process of discovering and realizing the value of "beauty".
In short, the "beauty" of rural areas first originates from nature, and the production and life related to artificial additives and nature constitute the overall appearance of rural areas. Therefore, the construction of beautiful rural areas is not only a process of beauty construction, but also a process of beauty discovery. This process can not only extend the rural industrial chain and promote the realization of diverse values, but more importantly, it can make farmers realize their own value, increase their sense of pride, and actively participate in the discovery and creation of beauty.