Why is the life of farmers here so comfortable—— Zhejiang Jiaxing Rural Visits and News Manga Village | Farmers | Life

In the morning, run along the waterfront boardwalk; In the afternoon, order a cup of coffee and read a book at the "not late" coffee shop in the village; After dinner, take a walk in the "Manga Village"... The daily life of Shen Linfeng, a villager from Shufeng Village, Shimen Town, Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, is also a living aspect of Jiaxing farmers' "material wealth+spiritual wealth", and a vivid picture of "millions of projects" creating thousands of beautiful villages.

In 2022, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Jiaxing reached 46276 yuan, ranking first in Zhejiang Province for 19 consecutive years; The income ratio of urban and rural residents has been reduced to within 1.60; All village collective economies have an annual recurring income exceeding 1.5 million yuan.

"Ten Million Projects" Embark on the Overture of Rural Revitalization

For a long time in the past, Shufeng Village suffered from extensive development, with each family raising pigs and ducks, causing a foul odor in the village.

The "Thousand Village Demonstration and Ten Thousand Village Renovation" project has brought new opportunities for development. Starting from environmental improvement, Shufeng Village has incorporated the comic elements of local celebrity Feng Zikai into the village construction after vacating pigstys and duck sheds. Based on the traditional village style of Jiangnan, it has built a "Zikai Manga Village" with the theme of comic cultural creation and research. The scattered and orderly exterior walls of residential buildings are painted with large comics, and the abandoned water tower has been transformed into a windmill for viewing, making people feel like they are in the world of comics under Feng Zikai's pen.

On June 15th, a aerial view of Luodong Village, Xincheng Town, Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

The creation of "Zikai Manga Village" has also opened up new space for local farmers to increase their income, and Shufeng Village has begun to explore the separation of main and auxiliary "shared farmhouses" model.

Shen Linfeng divided the house in half, with the main house at the back living for himself and the auxiliary house at the front rented to the village committee at a monthly price of 60 yuan per square meter, to introduce various business formats such as homestays, dyeing workshops, and painting schools. "Now I can earn over 20000 yuan in rent alone every year, and the tourism income in the village can also receive dividends." Shen Linfeng said, "Nowadays, the environment is becoming more and more beautiful, our wallets are getting bigger and bigger, and our lives are getting better and better."

Activate various production factors through the "Ten Million Project"

For the past twenty years, Jiaxing has continuously reshaped rural functions, activated village management, awakened dormant resources, and coordinated the planning, allocation, combination, and marketing of human, financial, material, land, industry, scenery, and cultural resources in the village, promoting the development of characteristic industries and increasing employment and income for farmers.

A large area of high standard farmland located in Yuxin Town, Nanhu District, Jiaxing City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

Entering the high standard farmland demonstration area in Miaojia Village, Dayun Town, Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, where canals are connected, roads are connected, forests form a network, and fields form a square. Mechanized operations and beautiful rural scenery complement each other. Miao Jinzhang, a villager from Miaojia Village, deeply feels the changes brought by the "Ten Million Project" to his hometown.

"In the past, land was often divided into small pieces by water networks and terrain. The village has carried out comprehensive land improvement. Now, cultivated land is in square shape and rarely blocked by construction land, greatly facilitating mechanized operations." Miao Jinzhang said, "The quality of the rice grown has also improved."

Nowadays, comprehensive land consolidation has been carried out throughout Jiaxing, and every household's "small fields" have been connected into "big fields", achieving centralized living of farmers and continuous cultivation of farmland. Scattered homesteads are also fragmented and transformed into land supply factors for industrial development.

"In the past, there was limited arable land and scattered land, and farmers could not earn money by farming their own land. It was a pity to abandon it. Now, the 'Ten Million Project' has truly turned agriculture into a promising industry," said Miao Jinzhang.

The "Million Project" satisfies farmers' yearning for a better life

On the stage of Shuangqiao Village in Wangjiangjing Town, Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City, a group of villagers are rehearsing dance with props such as oil paper umbrellas and fans. At the same time, in the table tennis room not far away, elderly people who enjoyed sports were swinging and showcasing themselves on the table.

There are nearly 20 cultural and sports facilities such as auditoriums, libraries, public stages, cultural parks, and fitness venues, creating a "15 minute quality cultural life circle" for local villagers. "Every month, the village holds a senior reading club in the cultural hall, where everyone reads and communicates together, which has become a habit," said Zhu Wenzhen, a villager from Shuangqiao Village.

On June 15th, tourists visited the Luodong Children's Painting Museum in Luodong Village, Xincheng Town, Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

In Jiaxing, the wealth of farmers is not only reflected in material wealth, but also in spiritual wealth.

Entering the smart study room in Fengqiao Village, Honghe Town, Xiuzhou District, a new cultural atmosphere greeted us: the library has a collection of over 15000 books, equipped with over 100 reading seats, unmanned, self-service, and intelligent management... In the reading room, villagers use their spare time to consult the latest agricultural information and planting and breeding knowledge.

It is reported that Jiaxing has spent 8 years integrating literature resources from public libraries in cities, districts, townships, and villages, achieving unified retrieval, borrowing, and returning of books and periodicals, and bringing "wisdom" into every household in rural areas.

Nearly 800 cultural halls, over 5000 village level cultural and volunteer service teams, and more than 50000 rural cultural activities every year... In the process of urban-rural cooperation, Jiaxing always regards rural and urban areas as an organic whole for overall planning, allowing the prosperous city and peaceful countryside to coexist, govern and share.