Nestled between mountains and the sea, the village flourishes with beauty and prosperity.
On the afternoon of October 15, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Aojiao Village in Chen Cheng Town, Dongshan County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. He explored the local dock, inspecting dried seafood and fish products while gaining insights into the area’s rural revitalization efforts.
Just a month prior, during his visit to the apple orchards in the Nanshan Huaniu region of Tianshui, Gansu Province, Xi emphasized, “The key to rural revitalization lies in industrial revitalization.”
In building a socialist modern state, the most challenging tasks still lie in rural areas. The rejuvenation of the nation requires the revitalization of its countryside. Fully advancing this initiative involves a blend of lofty aspirations and grounded, practical approaches.
Aojiao Village, located on the southeastern part of Dongshan Island, boasts a long peninsula that reaches out into the sea. Xi Jinping first visited this area back in 2001 while working in Fujian. Now, 23 years later, he expressed his deep satisfaction upon witnessing the remarkable transformations within the village. He noted, “Rural revitalization should capitalize on our strengths, particularly in tapping into the potential of the sea.”
Capitalizing on strengths requires a methodology tailored to local conditions. Surrounded on three sides by ocean, Aojiao Village thrives on maritime resources. In the waters, they have developed 1,110 deep-water fish pens and 660 acres of various aquaculture farms, while land-based aquaculture operations boast 128 facilities raising abalone and grouper. This “marine granary” boosts villagers’ incomes, while the integration of fisheries and tourism provides more opportunities for locals.
The development of these specialized industries not only increases incomes but also beautifies the village, continuously enhancing residents’ sense of gain, happiness, and security.
Since the 20th National Congress, Xi has shown a keen interest in rural specialty industries during his inspections across various regions. In the lychee orchards of Guangdong’s Maoming, he urged stakeholders to improve both the lychee industry and its cultural tourism. In Shandong’s Zaozhuang, while observing pomegranate gardens, he advised on brand enhancement and extending the industry chain to bolster market competitiveness and comprehensive benefits, encouraging shared prosperity among more villagers. And in the apple orchards of Tianshui, he stressed that rural revitalization must leverage local industry strengths to forge viable paths forward.
From fishing grounds to lychee orchards, and from pomegranates to apples, Xi’s tireless travels reflect a commitment to ensuring “a better life for the people.”
A decade ago, in the depths of fall during his visit to Fujian, Xi highlighted, “We cannot neglect rural areas in achieving a moderately prosperous society.”
Fujian is rich in diverse agricultural resources and characteristics. During that visit, he urged the province to build modern agriculture with unique features, enhance grain production capabilities, optimize agricultural structures, seek breakthroughs in sustainable practices, and achieve new milestones in rural construction.
In 2021, as China celebrated its complete victory in poverty alleviation, Xi declared the importance of accelerating rural revitalization, harnessing the province’s agricultural diversity and favorable climate to cultivate unique industries.
As China’s vast rural landscape embarks on a new journey of comprehensive revitalization following poverty eradication, Aojiao Village’s transformation from a backward fishing hamlet to one of the “Most Beautiful Fishing Villages” in the nation and “Golden Tourism Villages” in Fujian epitomizes the broader changes taking place across Chinese countryside.
“Only by improving agriculture and rural areas can we ensure that farmers live stable and fulfilling lives, giving them a strong sense of gain, happiness, and security.” This principle underscores the starting point and aim of comprehensive rural revitalization.
“To advance Chinese-style modernization, we must consistently strengthen agricultural foundations and propel comprehensive rural revitalization.” This reflects the weight that rural revitalization holds in Xi’s vision.
From poverty alleviation to comprehensive rural revitalization, Xi envisions a prosperous future for rural China: “In this new era and journey, the countryside will undoubtedly have an even brighter outlook, and farmers will enjoy increasingly vibrant lives. I wish for your lives to become ever more prosperous.”
