First Point of View: Reporters Visit Yu Village Again: Green Water and Green Mountain Become Happy Backer Ecology | Xi Jinping | Yu Village

The beautiful scenery of Anjiyu Village in the morning light. Photo taken by Pai You Pan Xuekang

Anqie Jixi.

In midsummer, Anjiyu Village boasts lush mountains and blue waters.

"Green mountains and clear waters are like mountains of gold and silver." At the entrance of the village, on a tall stone tablet, 10 red words remain prominent, welcoming visitors from all directions.

Visiting Yucun again, immersing oneself in the green mountains and clear waters, the scene from 18 years ago is vividly remembered.

"We used to talk about both green mountains and clear waters, but in fact, green mountains and clear waters are like mountains of gold and silver."

A grassroots survey on the theme of democracy and rule of law construction has become a milestone in China's ecological civilization and economic and social construction, and the construction of ecological civilization in Zhejiang has also opened a new chapter from Yucun.

In August 18 years later, following the clear Yucun Creek upstream, the lotus mountain drifts and laughs all over the valley, attracting tourists from farmhouses and homestays. The originally lazy summer days are highlighted with vitality.

The scenes are the most vivid interpretation of the concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver" in rural practice.

Bird's-eye view of Anjiyu Village

one

Time flows by. Green, stirring up the surging power of ecological civilization on the land of Zhijiang. Looking back, August 15th, 2005 was destined to be recorded in history.

Entering the former site of the village committee, on the westernmost side of the second floor, there is a rudimentary conference room of about ten square meters. In the center is a round table and wooden chairs for about ten people to sit on, with rows of open steel folding chairs on each side. This place still retains its appearance from 18 years ago.

The hourglass of memory surges out like a tide in an instant——

Bao Xinmin didn't expect the provincial party secretary to be so easy-going. His tense nerves immediately relaxed and he began to introduce the democratic and legal construction of Yucun and report on the economic development of Yucun.

The strong winds of economic development have swept over this land, raising a plethora of smoke and dust. In the past, Yucun was as rich as it was painful.

Since the 1970s and 1980s, the people of Yucun have been mining, quarrying, and building cement factories. Their wallets have become bloated, but the air has deteriorated, the bamboo forests have turned yellow, and the bamboo shoots have become smaller; The villagers dare not open windows, have nowhere to hang clothes, and even worry that their families who go out to mine may never come back

"In the past year, the collective economic income of several million yuan in the village was only about 200000 yuan, and the villagers had nowhere to work anymore." Bao Xinmin's voice lowered slightly, appearing somewhat lost. "We are also trying to find a way. Several households in the village have also started rural tourism, and their income is still good. It seems that in the future, we will rely on ecological tourism and rural tourism, and rely on the green mountains to eat."

Green mountains and clear waters are like mountains of gold and silver! Fresh and philosophical.

This statement was written in my interview book and even more deeply remembered in my heart, and it also had a profound impact on the development of Zhejiang and even China afterwards.

"Don't sacrifice the environment" is a historical responsibility of cherishing the "greatness of the country" and a profound reflection on the laws of economic and social development.

The second stage is to have both gold and silver, but also to maintain the green mountains and clear waters; The third stage is to recognize that green mountains and clear waters can bring a continuous stream of gold and silver, and that green mountains and clear waters themselves are gold and silver.

What kind of development path should we take? What kind of development is pursued?

The unity of economic development and environmental protection, the transformation of ecological advantages into economic advantages, and the repeated explanations in simple and profound terms have clarified the reasoning and pointed out the direction.

Tourists are visiting buildings built with locally abundant bamboo materials in Anjiyu Village. Picture 2

To plan for the present and to plan for the future.

No great idea is born out of thin air, let alone out of thin air.

Entering the 21st century, with the rapid development of reform and opening up, Zhejiang's total economic output has jumped to the forefront of the country, but the environmental pressure brought about by extensive development cannot be ignored.

How can ecological advantages become economic advantages?

I still remember that he would arrange research every week, and just over two months into his tenure, he visited all 11 prefecture level cities in Zhejiang Province. In the following year, his footprints covered 90 counties in the province.

One mountain, one water, one branch, one leaf, concern in the heart, and yearn for it. Setting off against the sunrise, bathing in the darkness and returning, seeking the source of fresh water with profound insights.

Repeated grassroots surveys and in-depth studies are a deep concern for the people's expectations for a better living environment, and a high level of attention and strategic foresight towards the ecological environment.

Ecological prosperity leads to civilized prosperity, and ecological decline leads to civilized decline.

From the proposal of "further leveraging Zhejiang's ecological advantages, creating an ecological province, and building a 'green Zhejiang'" in the "88 Strategy" to the column article "Realizing a win-win situation between economic development and ecological construction" in the "New Language of the Zhijiang River", it is mentioned that to promote the construction of an ecological province, it is to pursue harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and to achieve a win-win situation between economic development and ecological construction

The sky was drizzling with light rain, and the small village was shrouded in emerald green.

This is a green answer sheet that practices the concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver", and it is also a happiness answer sheet written into the hearts of the people.

For the past 18 years, the five village branch secretaries in Yucun have been working one after another, following the path guided by the concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver".

"At that time, I had the opportunity to participate in the symposium and sat in the back row." Later, Pan Wenge, who had served as the secretary of the Yucun Party branch, was a member of the village's "two committees" team.

That day, Pan Wenge wrote a full three pages in his diary. It can be said that this diary also witnessed the entire process of proposing the concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver".

Time flies, mountains and rivers are new. In the past, Yucun was known for its bald mountains and soy sauce soup made from water. Now, when people walk in Yucun, it's like traveling in a painting.

Wang Yucheng, the current village party branch secretary of Yucun, is a native of Yucun. He, born in 1985, was not yet 20 years old, but the saying "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver" had taken root in his heart for a long time.

The concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver" conforms to the people's expectations for a better life and carries the profound sentiment of "everything for the people".

In front of the rural library in Anjiyu Village, young people are playing frisbee on the lawn. Picture Three

The long river of history flows endlessly, and the great power of thought leads the course.

Make the green mountains and clear waters more beautiful, and make the mountains of gold and silver bigger! Earnest instructions are transformed into firm actions, and one "surplus village after another" is constantly changing.

People will not betray the green mountains, and the green mountains will not betray them.

Ecological beauty, strong economy, and prosperous people! A modern version of "Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains" slowly unfolds on the land of Zhejiang——

As of the end of 2022, the coverage rate of beautiful rural areas in Zhejiang has reached 93%, creating 42 national ecological civilization construction demonstration zones and 12 "green mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets" practice and innovation bases, ranking first in the country in terms of quantity; 36 county-level Liangshan cooperatives have developed 111 projects, driven over 1000 village collectives in total, and increased village collectives' cumulative income by over 500 million yuan; The public satisfaction with the ecological environment in the province has been increasing for 11 consecutive years, achieving two "national firsts" in the effectiveness assessment of the national pollution prevention and control battle and the satisfaction evaluation of the ecological environment

Where does the happiness of the common people come from?

The people of Zhejiang are becoming more and more determined on this road. Green mountains and clear waters have become the cornerstone of people's happiness, and green has become the most moving color in the development of Zhejiang.

I remember in 2020, during the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Zhejiang delegation submitted for the first time, in the name of a delegation, a proposal to establish the National Ecological Civilization Day on August 15th to the National People's Congress. As a journalist accompanying the Zhejiang delegation, I personally witnessed and was the first to report on this moment.

In June of this year, the Third Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress voted to establish August 15th as National Ecological Day. From then on, the construction of a beautiful China has received stronger legal guarantees.

Green mountains and clear waters reflect the radiance of thought, responding to the questions of the times.

From the construction of an ecological province in Zhejiang to the construction of a beautiful China, ideas cross the times and illuminate the way forward.

The concept of "green mountains and clear waters are like mountains of gold and silver" has led to profound changes in the vast land of China;

The river surges and the mountains are lush. From the coast of the East China Sea to both sides of the Qianjiang River, from bustling cities to beautiful countryside, a new chapter of modernization in harmonious coexistence between humans and nature is vividly written in the land of Zhejiang and China.

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