【 Da Guo Xin Cun: Following the Footprints of General Secretary 】 Changting, Fujian: From Muddy Waters and Wilderness to Green Waters and Mountains Practice | Soil and Water Loss | Fujian

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The nation must be revitalized, and the countryside must be revitalized.

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "the most arduous and arduous task of comprehensively building a socialist modernized country still lies in rural areas. We will prioritize the development of agriculture and rural areas, adhere to the integration of urban and rural development, and facilitate the flow of urban and rural factors. We will accelerate the construction of an agricultural strong country and solidly promote the revitalization of rural industries, talents, culture, ecology, and organizations." The People's Forum website has launched a series of reports on "New Villages in a Great Country: Following the Footprints of General Secretary", telling the story of the revitalization of the vast rural areas of China. Today, the research team of the People's Forum takes you into Changting County, Fujian Province, to appreciate the beautiful transformation from "turbid water and barren mountains" to "green water and green mountains" and then to "golden mountains and silver mountains".

Changting, Fujian is a model for soil erosion control in China and even the world.

During his work in Fujian, he went to Changting five times to conduct research and continuously promote soil erosion control; After working at the central government, he made two important instructions, emphasizing that "advancing leads to complete victory, and not advancing leads to retreat", and continuously strengthening the management of soil erosion in Changting.

"What the masses are concerned about is the focus of our government's work, and what the people need is the mission of the government." This is Comrade Xi Jinping's great concern and dedication to the well-being of the people and the interests of the masses during his work in Fujian. "If you advance, you will win, and if you don't advance, you will retreat" is Comrade Xi Jinping's great attention and earnest instructions to the control of soil erosion in Changting. In the hearts of the people of Changting, this is a kind of excitement and a spur, which guides Changting. Re-advancement, re-exploration, and re-innovation of soil erosion control.

In the Soil and Water Conservation Science and Education Park in Changting County, Fujian Province, Comrade Xi Jinping donated camphor trees more than 20 years ago.

Drip wears away stone, one person makes ten. After decades of large-scale governance, Changting County has completed the ecological transformation from the "Flame Mountain" with soil erosion and withered vegetation to the "Flower and Fruit Mountain" with lush greenery and fragrant fruits. It has been awarded more than 20 national and provincial-level honors, including the National Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration County and the "Green Waters and Green Mountains are Gold and Silver Mountains" Practice Innovation Base. It has also been listed as a leading area for high-quality development of soil and water conservation in China, the first batch of "Water Ecological Civilization Cities" construction in China, and the sixth batch of ecological civilization construction in China, among more than 10 national level pilot projects.

In 2021, the successful practice of comprehensive management of soil erosion and ecological restoration in Changting County, Fujian Province, was selected as a typical case of ecological restoration at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and was publicly promoted internationally. The "Changting Experience" officially went global.

Governance focuses on soil and water, while improving people's livelihoods. In 2021, the rural collective economic income of 24 provincial-level rural revitalization pilot villages in Changting County reached 19.0802 million yuan, with an average collective economic income of 795000 yuan per village. The per capita disposable income of rural residents in the county has increased from 2431 yuan in 2000 to 22279 yuan in 2022. The per capita disposable income of farmers in key soil erosion townships such as Hetian, Cewu, Zhuotian, Tufang, Nanshan, Xinqiao, and Sanzhou has basically reached or exceeded the county average level.

"The green transformation of Changting is inseparable from the sincere instructions and earnest expectations of the General Secretary, as well as the continuous struggle and perseverance of the people of Changting. We will make precise efforts in 'grasping' and continuously transform 'green mountains and clear waters' into' golden mountains and silver mountains', striving to create an upgraded version of the 'Changting Experience' for soil erosion control." said Lai Jinyi, Secretary of Changting County Party Committee.

Continuously expanding the "Changting experience" and promoting the construction of ecological civilization to a new level, a song of the era of green development of the Chinese nation is being played vigorously!

From "turbid water and barren mountains" to "green water and green mountains"

Contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to the construction of world ecological civilization

Changting, known as "Tingzhou" in ancient times, is located in the west of Fujian Province, at the southern foot of Mount Wuyi. This place once ignited a prairie fire and the Red Flag did not fall, making it a shining revolutionary old area in Shenzhou, the former Central Soviet Area, the hometown of the Red Army, and the main starting point of the Red Army's Long March. This used to be one of the areas with the most severe soil erosion in the red soil region of southern China, with no vegetation and exposed red soil. The people suffered greatly from the picturesque mountains, muddy waters, thin fields, and poverty.

"In the past, there were 'bald mountains' everywhere here, the mountains were all red, the natural ecological environment deteriorated, and the people lived in poverty..." Recalling the old scenery, Luo Qunying, Secretary of the Party Branch of Luhu Village in Hetian Town, was deeply touched.

The time corridor witnesses development and changes. In 1983, the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Government listed Changting as a pilot project for soil erosion control in the province. In 1986, the Ministry of Water Resources designated Changting Hetian as a demonstration area for small watershed management in the south.Since 2000, the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Government have included the management of soil erosion in Changting as one of the practical projects for the people, with an annual subsidy of 10 million yuan

With the full support of the province and city, Changting County has made unprecedented efforts to carry out large-scale soil erosion control through measures such as closing mountains for afforestation, improving vegetation, subsidizing coal burning, developing green industries, transferring surplus rural labor, and ecological migration.

This is a tough battle where every drop wears away a stone.

The golden old man who led the villagers to plant ten thousand acres of yangmei took the initiative to request mountain management and contracted to plant yangmei on a collapsed mountain of about 300 acres. At present, in addition to planting yangmei, Golden Elderly Man has also planted over 200 acres of tea. Under his leadership, the entire Sanzhou Village has planted 10000 acres of yangmei. Looking around, the mountains are lush and lush.

Shen Tengxiang, the village branch secretary of Nankeng who vowed to turn "difficult pits" into "rich pits", has introduced Xiamen Shuwang Ginkgo Co., Ltd. to develop the ginkgo industry. The company has invested more than 3 million yuan and planted 2309 acres of ginkgo, constructing a ginkgo ecological park in the "company+base+party member+farmer" model, implementing comprehensive management of "mountains, water, fields, gardens, roads, and houses", and building a beautiful ecological village.

With the support and assistance of the government, the female "Yu Gong" Ma Xuemei contracted for the soil erosion barren mountains in Tangwei Corner, Nan'an Village. She was not afraid of hardship or tiredness and successively cultivated more than 600 acres of barren mountains, planting tens of thousands of peach, pear, and chestnut trees, and intercropping crops such as peanuts, watermelons, and millet peppers. She also built a pig farm and biogas digester with an annual output of over a thousand heads, successfully carrying out a virtuous cycle of "ecological breeding".

Lai Jinyang contracted 1050 acres of mountain land and planted chestnuts with government funding, vowing to turn barren mountains into oases. Years later, the chestnut trees dyed the barren mountains green.

……

Through the long-term relay efforts of the county's cadres and masses, significant achievements have been made in the control of soil erosion in Changting. The once barren land is now dressed in green new clothes. Especially in rural revitalization demonstration areas such as Hetian, Sanzhou, and Zhuotian, beautiful ecological homes that are suitable for living, business, and tourism are vividly displayed. As the village where the Changting County Soil and Water Conservation Science and Education Park is located, Luhu Village has become a soil and water conservation scenic area and tourist destination that integrates demonstration and promotion, science education, sightseeing tourism, and external exchanges.

Provided by the Organization Department of the Changting County Committee of the Science and Education Museum for Soil and Water Loss Control in Changting, China

Yue Hui, Director of the Soil and Water Conservation Center of Changting County, introduced that since 2000, Changting County has reduced the area of soil erosion by 801000 mu, and the soil erosion rate has decreased from 23.82% to 6.57% in 2022, which is lower than the average level in the province. The annual comprehensive water quality compliance rate of 18 townships in the county is 100%, and the water quality of drinking water sources meets the Class II standard for surface water, with a compliance rate of 100%.

National demonstration counties for soil and water conservation, national demonstration counties for ecological civilization construction, and practical innovation bases for "green mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets"... National level "ecological signs" have emerged one after another, and the spillover effect of the "Changting experience" of soil and water conservation is constantly emerging.

The "Changting Experience" of soil erosion control, which is led by the Party Committee, led by the government, with the participation of the masses as the main body and society, implementing multiple policies, putting people first, and persevering, not only blooms and bears fruit in the land of Fujian, but also goes out of the province and into the world.

In Dingxi, Gansu, the continuous loess land of Maoliang absorbs the experience of Changting, and over 20000 acres of ecological forests for soil and water conservation grow vigorously; In Guyuan, Ningxia, the "Changting Experience" was successfully used to create a forest and grass industry experimental demonstration project, adding vitality to the barren Xihaigu

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

Standing at the top of Luhu Village, one can see the green mountains and waters, lush branches and leaves, and under the camphor tree, the breeze is gentle and refreshing.

From "Green Waters and Green Mountains" to "Golden and Silver Mountains"

Building an upgraded version of "Changting Experience" from a higher starting point

In Changting, there is a land of ten thousand acres of fertile land. Looking around, there are fertile fields and flat fields, with green waves rippling.

This fertile land is the largest contiguous agricultural area in Longyan City. Fu Muqing, a grain grower from Changting County, Longyan City, led the establishment of the Yuanfeng High quality Rice Professional Cooperative in Changting County. It collaborates with operating entities such as the Green Feng High quality Rice Professional Cooperative and the Shengfeng Family Farm, and guides farmers to transform from "individual efforts" to "group development" through land trusteeship and employment promotion, promoting the construction of a modern agricultural demonstration base covering 10000 acres of Hetian.

"This used to be a wasteland with severe soil erosion," said Fu Muqing. After decades of persistent management, it has now become an ecological grain field.

In addition to the "Tian Guan Jia" trusteeship service, Fu Muqing also bundled more than 10 grain and agricultural machinery professional cooperatives from surrounding towns together to establish the Changting County Rongwanjia Farmers Professional Cooperative Union, with a dedicated "Financial Mutual Aid Department" and a financing of 2 million yuan. Each member of the cooperative has different types of agricultural machinery and service functions, and regional scheduling is carried out according to the order content, so that each member can share resources, achieve complementary advantages, and provide support for financially disadvantaged members.

"To promote rural revitalization and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, it is necessary to change the development mindset." Wang Chengwen, Director of the Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Changting County, calculated that relying on the current operating model, not only fully utilizes small plots and abandoned land, but also transforms "small fields into large fields", solves the problems of "who will plant land" and "how to plant land", and greatly reduces land production costs.

The development path of scale, intensification, mechanization, and specialization has also helped local family farms and cooperatives further grow and strengthen. According to statistics, Rongwanjia Cooperative provides 64000 acres of agricultural socialized services annually, with an annual output value of over 22 million yuan, driving 1230 households and increasing agricultural income by 2.23 million yuan.

In recent years, Changting County has taken the opportunity of being listed as a pilot county for promoting the quality improvement of national farmer cooperatives, solidly promoting "party building+" cooperatives, and paving a new path for rural revitalization led by party building to enrich the people and strengthen villages.

In Meijing Village, a famous revolutionary old area in western Fujian, we fully leverage the advantages of grassroots party organizations, actively explore the "party building+cooperatives+villagers" model, and promote industrial development. Establish the "Fujian Homesickness Rural Cooperative" and invite party members and villagers to join together, attempting to introduce characteristic planting industries such as Huangjing and sugarcane, and jointly explore new paths for the development of local industries.

In Zhaitou Village, once known as Changting "Siberia", by establishing a village party branch to lead a cooperative, the interests of large growers, collectives, and the masses are closely linked to the development of the cooperative. A strategic cooperation framework agreement for the "brown sugar industry" has been signed with the National Sugarcane Engineering Technology Research Center of Fujian A&F University, creating an ecological agriculture model of "landscape construction+high yield+crop rotation" that achieves three goals with one action.

Provided by the Organization Department of Changting County Committee, Zhaitou Village, Zhuotian Town, Changting County

"We adhere to the leadership of the Party throughout the development of cooperatives." Chen Weihua, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Changting County Committee and head of the Organization Department, said that the county is driven by the demonstration of capable people, arranges expert teams to stay in the village for guidance, and appoints financial instructors to serve the village party branch, providing a package of services such as policy advice, support, and financial services for cooperatives.

As of now, the total registered capital of cooperatives in the county has reached 2.87 billion yuan, with 36500 members and a base area of 245000 acres. The annual sales revenue is about 1.427 billion yuan, driving 67000 households and increasing agricultural income by 220 million yuan.

From "green mountains and clear waters" to "golden mountains and silver mountains", the path of green prosperity and win-win in Changting has become increasingly smooth: vigorously developing the three leading industries of rare earths, textiles and clothing, cultural tourism and health care, and four key industries of characteristic modern agriculture, medical equipment, e-commerce, and construction. The overall economic output and quality of the industry have been comprehensively improved.

Provided by the Organization Department of Changting County Committee of Minxi Medical Device Industrial Park

Among them, the output value of the rare earth industry has rapidly increased from 2.49 billion yuan in 2011 to 15.6 billion yuan by the end of 2022, and the textile and clothing industry has also reached 13 billion yuan in 2022. The medical device industry has grown rapidly from scratch, with a total investment of 1.06 billion yuan. The medical device industry park has been completed and put into use, with 51 settled enterprises. In 2022, the trade volume and output value have reached 2 billion yuan.

The county's regional GDP has increased from 11.475 billion yuan in 2011 to 34.37 billion yuan in 2022, with an average annual growth of 6.9%. The total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery has an average annual growth of 10.3%, the total output value of large-scale industries has an average annual growth of 12.4%, fixed assets investment has an average annual growth of 20%, the total retail sales of social consumer goods has an average annual growth of 13.9%, the total fiscal revenue has an average annual growth of 7.2%, and the local fiscal revenue has an average annual growth of 9.6%. From 2017 to 2022, the county has been awarded the "Top Ten Counties in County Economic Development" in Fujian Province for five years.

To govern the soil and water of a region and enrich the people of that region. Nowadays, ecology has become the distinctive background of Changting, which is the foundation and guarantee for promoting its high-quality development. In the future, we need to further build an upgraded version of the "Changting Experience" to achieve a transformation from "controlling" to "preventing" the causes of soil erosion in Changting, improving from "quantity" to "quality" and deepening from "green" to "excellent". The people of Changting are working hard and courageously forward.

Author: Research Group of the People's Forum