Enriching the villagers, following the footsteps of General Secretary, Shaanxi Mizhi: Greening the mountains and rivers in rural areas | Gaoxigou Village | Shaanxi Mizhi
Special topic on "Da Guo Xin Cun: Following the Footprints of General Secretary"
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, let's walk into Gaoxigou Village, Mizhi County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, and explore the green legend on the Loess Plateau.
The pine waves are surging and the blue waves are lush. A thousand acres of fertile land lie on the winding mountains, and the mountains and forests are dotted with red fruits.
In the scorching summer of Gaoxigou, countless tourists invite their friends to visit, admiring the simplicity and enthusiasm of the people growing in the folds of the Loess Plateau. They are also pleasantly surprised by the green transformation from a barren and barren mountain valley to the picturesque "Little Jiangnan in northern Shaanxi".
Gaoxigou Village, located in the northern part of Shaanxi Province and the hinterland of the Loess Plateau, is a well-known ecological village and a demonstration village for soil and water conservation. In recent years, Gaoxigou Village has been awarded multiple honors, including "National Soil and Water Conservation Science and Technology Demonstration Park", "Advanced Collective of China Ecological Civilization Award", "National Water Conservancy Scenic Area", "China's Most Charming Leisure Village", and "China Rural Tourism Model Village".
We must deeply implement the concept that green mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets, organically combine ecological governance with the development of characteristic industries, and embark on a path of coordinated ecological and economic development, as well as harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
With the affirmation of the General Secretary, confidence is even stronger!
The original intention is as solid as a rock, walking on it will lead to success. In recent years, the Mizhi County Party Committee has always kept in mind the earnest instructions of General Secretary, firmly practiced the "Two Mountains" concept, adhered to the development concept of "Ecological Revitalization+", vigorously promoted the experience of Gaoxigou, and worked hard to lead the people of the old area to become prosperous. On the extension line of ecological governance, it has found a path for the development and prosperity of characteristic industries.
Good ecology is the "golden rice bowl", striving to strengthen the green ecological foundation
Gully and hilly terrain, with scarce food.
In the past, Gaoxi Gully was bare on the mountain, littered with stones, plagued by disasters every year, and never harvested for ten or nine years. After a heavy rain, the road out of the mountain turned into mud pits, and "soup in the morning, bran in the noon, and the moon in the bowl at night" became a true portrayal of this place.
The four generations of the Party branch of Gaoxigou Village have been steadfastly committed to managing the mountains and water for seventy years, and have achieved the miracle of delivering clean water instead of sediment to the Yellow River in the most severely eroded areas. They have led the people of Gaoxigou out of poverty and towards the prosperous path of rural revitalization and village prosperity.
"We must guard the hard-earned green, let the mountains be managed by people, the forests by people, the trees by people, and the responsibilities by people..."
In order to maintain a green family and make the greenery stronger, the village insists on the forest chief and management personnel "entering the grid" and has established a strict management system: "If one tree is damaged, two must be replanted; if the area of deforestation is large, it must be reported to relevant departments for serious handling."
To join the Party, plant trees first! Newly developed Party members in the village must plant at least 100 saplings and ensure a survival rate of over 90% in order to qualify for Party membership.
The new trend of loving, planting, and protecting greenery in the entire village of Gaoxigou is still prevalent.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party branch of Gaoxigou Village has adhered to the concept of "ecological revitalization+", led the whole village to consolidate and expand the achievements of ecological governance, treated green water as assets, and green mountains as golden mountains. In recent years, on the basis of treating 40 hills and 21 ditches and forks, it has continued to adhere to the "321" land use model of three parts forest land, two parts grassland, and one part cultivated land, organized manpower, material resources, and financial resources, and persistently planted and repaired 2000 acres of afforestation in blank areas, 300 acres of sparse forest lime strips, 7.49 kilometers of green roads, planted more than 35000 trees, completed the introduction of 50 types of mountain trees, and built a forest fire prevention watchtower. A set of forest fire warning and command platform, with a current forest and grass coverage rate of 70% and a soil erosion control degree of 78% in the entire village.
The climate of small watersheds with increased rainfall and no drought in the land has formed, and the green legend of the Loess Plateau is advancing from light green to deep green.
Overall view of Gaoxigou
I ask Qingshan how old he will be, and Qingshan asks me when he will be idle. Nowadays, when you stand on the top of the Longtou Mountain in Gaoxi Gully, you will surely appreciate a delicate ecological landscape - building terraced fields on the gentle slopes of the mountain, building dams and weirs on the silted land in the ditch, abandoning sloping land to plant grass, constructing reservoirs to irrigate farmland, connecting high mountains with distant pine trees, building orchards on the sunny slopes near the village, planting lime strips on steep slopes, sealing off mountains and prohibiting grazing to protect forests and grass, leaving a green and unforgettable sight.
Loess land grows as a "golden treasure", with multiple flowering points promoting income growth and prosperity
Develop advantageous characteristic industries and write papers on the loess land.
On September 13, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Gaoxigou Village, Yinzhou Street, Mizhi County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. When passing through a field, the general secretary temporarily stopped the car, walked into the field, inspected the growth of millet, millet, and corn, and talked to the villagers who were working in the field.
"The general secretary also said that our millet with rice fat is especially good. The porridge is covered with a layer of oil, which is always not enough to drink." Villager Ji Qin Ye said happily.
Mizhi County is the hometown of millet, named after its fertile soil and water, suitable for millet, and the taste of rice juice as fat. It is the only county in the country named after grains.
Huang Xiaomi from Mizhi County
Nowadays, the Mizhi County Committee and Gaoxigou Village are based on the geographical advantages of the Xiaomi production area, developing the advantageous characteristic industries of Mizhi Xiaomi, actively strengthening the deep integration of industry, academia, and research with Northwest A&F University, systematically promoting the construction of Xiaomi parks, grain breeding, Xiaomi laboratories, and organic dryland millet standardized production bases, and comprehensively enhancing the independent innovation ability of agricultural science and technology.
"Life is good, Xiaomi can be sold without leaving the house, and the selling price is still high. I couldn't even think of it before!" The villagers laughed when they talked about the new sales model.
Gaoxigou Village has broken away from the old tradition, explored the marketing model of "Party building+Internet", introduced e-commerce teams to expand sales channels, established the "Gaoxigou North Shaanxi Live Broadcast Base", accelerated the digital transformation of modern agriculture, developed new forms of digital agriculture, established a complete production and marketing system, and developed a new way to expand the collective economy.
Gaoxigou Village has also built a Xiaomi Museum, fully showcasing the long history of Mi Zhi Xiaomi and unleashing the brand value of Mi Zhi Xiaomi. A golden regional public brand for agricultural products has begun to take shape.
Gaoxigou Terraced Fields
The apple industry is another source of wealth in Gaoxigou Village. Jiang Liangbiao, a national outstanding party worker and the current party branch secretary of Gaoxigou Village, always speaks of the apple industry with great enthusiasm.
In 2006, when Jiang Liangbiao attended an agricultural technology training conference, he was very moved to hear about the experience of developing the apple industry in Luochuan, Yan'an to drive the increase in income of villagers. He said, "The apples in their village are planted well, and the average annual income of villagers is tens of thousands of yuan. Can we learn from teachers?"
After the meeting, Jiang Liangbiao invited agricultural technicians from Luochuan County to come to the village. Through exploration and investigation, it was found that the soil layer in Gaoxigou is deep and loose, rich in organic matter and conducive to drainage. In addition, it has sufficient sunlight and a large temperature difference between day and night, making it suitable for apple cultivation.
In 2007, Gaoxigou began to try planting apple trees. Villagers pruned, bagged, and renovated old orchards... Within a few years, red fruits hung all over the mountains, and the people of Gaoxigou tasted the sweetness of apple farmers.
Gaoxigou Orchard and Hail Prevention Net
Now, the apple industry in Gaoxigou has established a "company+base+farmers" and "party building+farmers" mountain apple industry management model, promoting the large-scale production of thousands of acres of mountain apple industry, realizing the installation of orchard drip irrigation systems and hail prevention nets, strengthening scientific management, and creating the "Gaoxigou Apple" brand, comprehensively improving the quality and efficiency of mountain apples.
56 year old apple grower Gao Zhihong sighed about the great changes in life now: "My father is 92 years old. When he participated in dam construction and terraced field repair, the production team gave me black bread, which he couldn't bear to eat and brought back to me. Now life has changed. My family has a 40 acre orchard, where we have grown apples, pears, and grapes. These years, we have had good times and can earn 100000 yuan a year."
The villagers affectionately said, "Yellow eggs, red eggs, millet, and apples are the golden eggs for the people to live a good life!"
In Gaoxigou Village, a blue roofed prefabricated house is quite eye-catching. That is the sheep farm contracted by forest ranger Gao Naizhu.
"300 white cashmere sheep eat straw that I collected from the villagers. Sheep manure is provided to fruit farmers for free as fertilizer, so it can be recycled." 60 year old Gao Naizhu has a flexible mind and dares to think and act.
At the end of 2022, with the financial support of the county government, the sheep shed, hay shed, and laboratory were renovated and expanded, and automatic feeding machines and other equipment were added. This year, the sheep farm will achieve semi automated sheep farming.
The bottom of the ditch is clear and condensed with water, resembling a painting.
The Gaoxigou Reservoir, built in 1974, was mainly used for flood control and irrigation in the past. Nowadays, leisure tourism has developed here.
In recent years, Gaoxigou Village has relied on its ecological advantages to vigorously develop rural tourism, and has built scenic spots such as the Soil and Water Conservation Ecological Exhibition Hall, Apple Picking Garden, and Panshan Terraced Fields Sightseeing Spot. Tourists can not only experience rural picking, but also live in caves and taste farmhouse food.
Walking into the farmhouse of villager Gao Zhizhou's family, a row of fresh and tidy cave dwellings appeared. His oil cake made from soft millet is a sign that attracts city tourists.
"The general secretary was on the edge of the village field and mentioned the difference between soft and hard millet. Now as soon as I eat the oil cake, I think of the scene that afternoon, sweet!"
Last year, Gao Zhizhou renovated his 4-hole kiln and expanded the scale of rural tourism. "This year, I need to muster up all my energy and play the sign of rural tourism," said Gao Zhizhou with a smile.
The rhythm returns to the spring light, and everything begins to renew. The Party branch of Gaoxigou Village liberates its thinking and dares to innovate. Last year, with the goal of "retaining homesickness" and strengthening the village collective economy, it created the "Gaoxigou Memory" project, forming a sketching practice base that emphasizes leisure and focuses on art, meeting the leisure and entertainment needs of tourists. There is also the "Hello, Gaoxigou" project, a comprehensive exhibition and sales platform for agricultural products that reflects the agricultural culture of northern Shaanxi. It is also a tourist rural slow life experience center that integrates leisure, simple meals, online live streaming, and new media production.
The arrival of a large number of tourists has brought considerable benefits to Gaoxigou Village, greening the mountains and rivers, enriching the villagers, and more and more villagers are enjoying "ecological rice" at their doorstep, expanding the path to wealth and boosting their "money bags".
In 2022, the per capita disposable income of Gaoxigou Village reached 21711 yuan, which is 6210 yuan higher than the county average level.
Strengthening Party building is the "golden key", filling the gaps in people's livelihoods and promoting a new trend of civilization
In October 2021, Mizhi County established a special team for work in Gaoxigou, working together with the party branch of Gaoxigou Village to fully promote rural revitalization and people's livelihood development.
The Mizhi County Committee adheres to the concept of "Da Gao Xi Gou" and adheres to the integrated approach of mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands, and dams, driving the replication and promotion of the ecological governance model in Gaoxi Gou Village throughout Mizhi County.
Focusing on the strategic goal of building a demonstration county for ecological civilization construction, Mizhi County is promoting ecological governance in the Loess Plateau and comprehensively promoting the experience of Gaoxigou. Nowadays, there are organic millet from Shenjiagou Village in Taozhen, mountain apples from Shushan Village in Dujiashigou Town, and organic peaches from Majiapu Village in Yindou Town here... The Gaoxigou model is benefiting more people with rice fat.
Gaoxigou Village is in the green, houses in the garden, and people in the scenery.
In order to improve the living environment, the Party branch of Gaoxigou Village has implemented the "Five Improvements" project and the "Three Cleanups and Three Governance" action, greening, beautifying, and purifying the village's appearance. From the "Five Improvements" project of renovating neighborhoods, toilets, stoves, water, and poor living conditions, to the "Three Cleanings and Three Governance" action of cleaning up garbage, clearing silt, clearing roadblocks, controlling firewood piles, feces, and dilapidated walls and courtyards, rural life has undergone significant changes, and the happiness and sense of achievement of villagers have increased.
Wilderness abounds, and the road slowly returns. In early June of this year, the Gaoxigou work team achieved new results in the creation of high-quality cultural and tourism brands. Chorus, skits, singing and dancing, the village evening of "Earth's Joy Song" choreographed by the villagers is brilliant and diverse, showcasing the unique cultural charm and new spiritual outlook of modern new villages. On a moonlit night with a gentle breeze, the laughter and laughter of villagers and tourists from Gaoxigou intertwine, drifting far away, far away
Rural revitalization requires not only shaping, but also forging the soul.
The Party branch of Gaoxigou Village attaches great importance to the construction of rural culture and civilization. It has formulated a plan for the revitalization of Gaoxigou Village, put into operation a rural happiness courtyard, built a cultural square, issued village regulations and agreements, carried out activities to promote the transformation of customs and promote the selection of moral models and civilized families, promoted the entry of socialist spiritual civilization into villages and households, learned from the experience of Fengqiao, and ensured that small matters do not leave the village and major events do not leave the town; Enhance legal awareness, promote the formation of a good environment for handling affairs in accordance with the law, seeking legal solutions when faced with problems, and resolving conflicts by relying on the law, create a clean and upright civilized rural style, good family style, and simple folk style, and provide a new template for creating livable, business friendly, tourism friendly, and beautiful rural areas.
If placed in the spring like Jiangnan water town, Gaoxi Gully is not surprising, but if it is in the typical loess hilly and gully area in the hinterland of the Loess Plateau, a poor mountain valley with fragile natural ecology, for seventy years, it has been steadfastly adhering to green waters and mountains, exploring the transformation path of mountains of gold and silver. This perseverance is impressive, and this success is shocking.
Ecological prosperity leads to civilized prosperity, and ecological decline leads to civilized decline.
