News Investigation | "Ten Million Project": Villages Became Beautiful and Villagers Became Rich in Twenty Years | Project | News Investigation
Over the past twenty years, this project has been continuously upgraded, expanded, and grown. From 2003 to 2010, in the first stage of "Thousand Village Demonstration and Ten Thousand Village Renovation", thousands of villages started with the improvement of living environment, and environmental change triggered ecological change. Starting from 2011, the second phase of "Thousand Villages of Fine Products, Ten Thousand Villages of Beauty" brought about changes in industry, culture, and urban-rural reconstruction through the construction of beautiful rural areas.
In 2021, the "Ten Million Project" will enter the third phase of "One Thousand Villages in the Future, Ten Thousand Villages Get Rich Together", which can be regarded as the "pioneer" of Chinese path to modernization in the field of agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
As early as when the ten million project was launched, Comrade Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, repeatedly emphasized the main role of farmers in the "ten million project". "For the people, relying on the people" is the iterative upgrade of this project for 20 years. The source of power.
To rely on the people for the sake of the people
The construction of Phase II New Area in Dazhuyuan Village is currently underway. Regarding the planning and design of the village, street officials and village committees have invited Dr. Du Chunyu, a planning designer from Dazhuyuan Village and from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, to the village to discuss the water system planning for the new area with the villagers. Since the creation of a boutique village in the second phase of the "Ten Million Project" in 2016, it has been common for Dazhuyuan Village to sit together and discuss how to plan and design the village and how to meet everyone's needs. The opinions of the villagers are reflected in the planning and construction of the entire village.
Dazhuyuan Village is adjacent to Longwang Creek and grows along the water. Water is one of the most important elements of life for the people here since ancient times. A water system that flows through every household's front and back, surrounding the entire village, brings a dynamic charm to Dazhuyuan Village. And the design inspiration comes from the needs of the villagers.
Du Chunyu, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.: When we were doing it, we wanted to revive a mechanism and state of natural growth in the old village, making water a theme element, and achieving the goal of every household living by the water, and every household hearing the sound of water. And this water is not just for viewing like the landscape water in cities. Our rural water is more used for living and production.
In the construction of the second phase of the Dazhuyuan Village project, the design and planning should focus more on exploring and meeting the future business and development needs of the villagers. During the interview in Zhejiang, it was common for the government, villagers, and relevant teams to discuss the construction and development of the village together. In Sandan Village in Dongyang, the township, village, and operation team are also discussing the plan for five village joint construction and group development.
Because the willingness and opinions were fully respected, everyone's enthusiasm to participate was fully mobilized. Behind this is the people-oriented spirit reflected in the twenty year "Ten Million Project".
Dazhuyuan Village, which is dynamic due to water and beautiful due to the construction of a new village, attracts a plethora of tourists who are transforming the beautiful scenery into a beautiful economy. In 2022, the operating income of Dazhuyuan Village reached 2.69 million yuan.
Categorize and implement policies according to local conditions
If we say "working together in the same direction, with the same desire from top to bottom", it is the continuous driving force of the "Ten Million Project" for twenty years. So if the village is beautiful, the rest should be left to time. It will naturally grow into its rightful shape according to the terrain and water.
The 20-year practice of the "Ten Thousand Thousand Project" contains a series of scientific thinking and methods during General Secretary Xi Jinping's work in Zhejiang. One of them is to find a way of differentiated development for thousands of villages, each with its own beauty.
But what is the most suitable? The farmers themselves know.
Dongyang Cailu Village, covering an area of three square kilometers, has 1200 acres of standard farmland. Two seasons of rice per year, with each acre producing tons of grain per year. Rice is a characteristic industry of Cailu Village and also records the history of the Cailu people. Cailu Village has a history of over 700 years. The topography of Liangjiangjia Village has made Cailu compete for land with floods for generations. In the process of solving water disasters and irrigation problems, the hardworking Cailu people transformed the river into farmland and gradually cultivated over 1000 acres of farmland with drought and flood protection. The tradition of cultivating rice in Cailu has been preserved to this day.
In the stage of rapid economic development in Zhejiang, Cailu Village also attempted to take other paths. The development of vegetable bases and the cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine have not been successful. The land here is suitable for growing rice, and the villagers also love growing rice. How to make everyone rich even by farming? Cailu Village has finally found its own path: centralized land transfer to large households for operation, collective development of secondary industries to strengthen collective economy, and feedback of primary industries to increase farmers' income. In 2022, the per capita disposable income of Cailu Village increased to 82000 yuan, and the collective operating income of the village exceeded 4 million yuan.
Now, Cailu is building a shared countryside based on 5G technology. The intelligent remote monitoring box in the field monitors soil moisture, light intensity, pH and other indicators in real time; Plant protection drones and intelligent unmanned tillers fly and move in the fields, creating a picturesque landscape of thousands of acres of farmland. Cailu Village also has a new plan to develop the cultural and tourism industry.
In Zhejiang, villages in various cities and counties present different local customs and spiritual atmospheres. There are Tangdi Village in Shaoxing, which is prosperous due to the orchid industry, Gejia Village in Ningbo, which is famous for its villagers' artistic creations, and Sandan Village in Dongyang, which is revitalized by the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage techniques. Based on the specific situation of each village, gradually formed "one village, one policy", "one village, one product", and "one village, one charm".
The scientific method of adapting measures to local conditions and implementing classified policies throughout the "Ten Million Project" has enabled countless rural areas to find the best solution for their respective beauty and shared beauty. In 2022, the total assets of village level collective economy in Zhejiang Province reached 880 billion yuan, accounting for one tenth of the national total. The urban-rural income ratio has decreased from 2.43 in 2003 to 1.90 in 2022. The relationship between urban and rural areas is also undergoing profound changes with the continuous iteration and upgrading of the "Ten Million Project" over the past twenty years.
"Ten million projects"
A Key to Solving the Three Rural Issues
Li Zu Village, with a history of over 500 years, was once nicknamed "Buffalo Corner Village" in the local area, meaning a village without hope. Although it is not more than 15 minutes away from the urban area of Yiwu in a straight line, there was no way out of the village before the "Ten Million Project", and it had to detour from neighboring villages. The small pond at the entrance of the village witnessed the departure of generations of young people. There were many suburban villages like Li Zu in Yiwu, and they were called "inconspicuous villages". If there were no "ten million projects", such villages may become increasingly declining in the process of change.
In the first phase of the "Ten Million Project" rural renovation, the ancient and rustic charm of Lizu Village gradually emerged in front of people. In the second stage, Yiwu has integrated the power of state-owned enterprise investment and created ten beautiful rural boutique lines in the surrounding area. Lizu Village happens to be on the boutique line of Desheng Ancient Charm.
Social forces bring resources and also bring more possibilities for development. Jin Jing was attracted at that time. In the context of convenient transportation and a strong cultural environment, Jinjing's operation team quickly attracted more than 200 unique agricultural makers to Lizu Village. These agricultural makers who are somewhat famous online have brought a long lost popularity to Li Zu Village.
The villagers told a story about the origin of the name "Li Zu": the earliest people living on this land were the Li family, and later the Fang family migrated here. The two families got along harmoniously. As the number of people surnamed Fang increased, the Li family surrendered the entire village to them. The gratitude of the people surnamed Fang towards the Li family has been passed down from generation to generation, so they named the village "Li Zu Village". "Humility, harmony, and gratitude" are the ancient and simple customs that continue here to this day.
Jin Jing, a professional manager in Lizu Village, Houzhai Street, Yiwu, Zhejiang: We believe that IPs must be rooted in the local area and originate from the inside out. Our village brand name for Li Zu is "Youli Zu'er". It is a civilized village and the business environment is so good. What we convey in this village is a warmth of "etiquette". Under the beautiful rural scenery, a group of people with love and courtesy are together, and the countryside in my imagination is like this.
The relationship between Li Zu and Yiwu precisely represents a small breakthrough in the "Ten Million Project", bringing about a major transformation in urban-rural relations. Today's Li Zu Village, with its gentle and silent charm, has added a unique slow life to Yiwu. It is no longer a burden, it is the backyard of Yiwu people and the habitat of Yiwu people's spirit.
Jiang Weifeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Zhejiang Province: How to understand the Ten Million Project? It is actually a key to solving the three rural issues, or in other words, it is a breakthrough point, it is a general lever. From small incisions to big livelihood, from small environments to big ecology, and from small investments to big mouth cups. Our concept of coordinating urban and rural development has not changed along the way, but the content of its coordination is iterative and upgraded. Ultimately, it is about how to treat farmers and rural areas fairly and justly. It's not that our agriculture, rural areas, and farmers are a burden on the entire economy and society. In fact, they are not a burden. They are not only a shortcoming that we need to focus on solving, but also a potential for our economic development and social progress.
New Hope brought by the "Million Project"
Sandan, the most remote town in Dongyang, has nine high mountains above 800 meters above sea level and is called "Little Xizang" in Dongyang. San Dan Village is the land of the four counties where chickens crow, and its remoteness is evident. The remote geographical location and extremely limited resources have always limited the development of Sandan Village. Like other villages in Zhejiang, Sandan Village has also gone through the "Ten Million Project", from village renovation and improvement of living environment to closing mines, developing green economy, and building beautiful countryside.
However, its elegance still resembles two pearls hidden deep in the mountains: it has over 90% forest coverage and a water quality of Class II or above. The number of negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter of air is over 20000, which is the standard for national forest health bases. There is also the intangible cultural heritage of blue dyeing handicrafts that have been passed down for thousands of years here. Tie dyeing, wax dyeing, and clip dyeing, traditional handicrafts that cannot be replicated, are the stunning colors condensed by time.
Lin Qi, a fashion designer, walked out of the mountains from Sandan Village at the age of 15. In 2020, more than 20 years later, seeing the changes in her hometown, she and her friends returned with funds and a plan. The perseverance of the cadres in the "Ten Million Project" has finally attracted the Golden Phoenix. Lin Qi and her team hope to create a cluster of traditional handicraft workshops, attracting more skilled craftsmen and driving the veteran artists and left behind villagers in the village. Years of brand accumulation have given them confidence to awaken the long dormant Sandan Village with intangible cultural heritage skills.
In just one year, the collective economic income of Sandan Village has exceeded one million yuan, and the workshop has driven the employment of more than 500 villagers in the surrounding area. In 2021, the "Ten Million Project" in Zhejiang Province entered the third stage of "Thousand Villages for the Future, and Ten Thousand Villages for Common Prosperity". With continuous investment and support from the province to the township and common prosperity projects, the enthusiasm of cadres and operation teams in the township and village has been fully mobilized. They are creating a new plan for five village joint construction and group development.
The high-altitude vegetables in Dagou Village, the tea industry in Shanbei Village, the water park in Xiaxilou Village, the homestay in Jinhang Village, and the intangible cultural heritage workshop in Sandan Village. It can be imagined that the "Ten Million Project" will provide more possibilities for the future development and common prosperity here.
This is Yucun. It is no longer the Yucun village that opened mines 20 years ago, but the fashionable and youthful Yucun village in today's green mountains and clear waters.
In July 2022, Yucun launched the "Global Partner Program" to recruit young people dedicated to rural construction, and sent a sincere invitation. 42 partner projects have successively landed in Yucun, with over 1000 college students participating and over 200 young people joining the team of entrepreneurship in Yucun. They are called Xinxiang people.
Today, 20 years after the "Ten Million Project", Yucun, the birthplace of the Two Mountains Theory and a village that has undergone earth shaking changes, is performing a two-way journey between youth and rural areas every day. The future of Yucun is still on its way, so there is no need to rush to label it. But a modern countryside that is harmonious, inclusive, grand, innovative, and full of vitality will definitely be the future of Yucun. This is the most profound transformation that the "Ten Million Project" has brought to China's rural areas in the past twenty years.
In the 20 years of practice of the "Ten Thousand Thousand Project", there are many important thoughts of General Secretary Xi Jinping: the fundamental position of the supremacy of the people, the scientific method of systematic advancement, the development concept that green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and long-term contributions. Strategic determination, etc.
It is precisely these ideas that have been solidly implemented step by step in practice that have truly brought about the beautiful transformation of countless rural areas in Zhejiang. The restructuring of mountains and rivers inspired by the "Ten Million Project" is far from over. The future of rural areas can be imagined to the fullest: it is the image empowered by technology in the digital age, the image of a beautiful countryside in Chinese culture, and the image of common prosperity in the dream of rejuvenation.
