Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets
Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. This is an important concept for development in the new era and a major principle behind China's modernization drive.
The comparison of mountains of green with mountains of gold was first made by Xi Jinping in 2005 when he visited Yucun, a village in Zhejiang Province, in his capacity as secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.
This idea bears on the future of the Chinese civilization and people's wellbeing, as it cherishes harmony between humanity and nature and between the economy and society, so that a sound eco-environment and fast economic growth can be both maintained. This is because maintaining a sound eco-environment will surely benefit humanity, while damaging nature will incur harm in the end. Humanity can enjoy a sound eco-environment only by fostering harmony with nature and creating a sound eco-environment for ourselves.
Responding to students in Kazakhstan in September 2013, Xi Jinping said, "We want to have not only mountains of gold, but also mountains of green. If we must choose between the two, we would rather have the green than the gold. And in any case, green mountains are themselves gold mountains." He also pointed out that China will never seek short-term economic growth at the expense of its eco-environment. The goal of building an eco-civilization and a beautiful China is to leave to future generations a legacy of blue skies, green vegetation and clear waters.
The references to green mountains and gold mountains make it easy to understand the relationship between environmental protection and economic development, the two of which do not conflict with each other, but can make progress side by side. On the one hand, clear waters and green mountains are not only natural and eco-environmental wealth, but also social and economic wealth. Healthy ecosystems promise boundless economic potential, generate steady returns, and contribute to economic and social sustainability. On the other hand, they make a major contribution to a happy life for the people, much more precious than economic returns. A good eco-environment is the shared wealth of the people, a fair public product, and the most inclusive form of public wellbeing.
The concept that mountains of green are mountains of gold is rooted in the Chinese philosophy about "unity of humanity and nature" and harmony between the two. It interprets the relationship between economic development and eco-environmental protection, thus: Protecting the eco-environment equates to protecting productive forces; improving the eco-environment equates to enhancing productive forces. This is a new way to coordinate development and protection.
绿水青山就是金山银山
绿水青山就是金山银山，是新时代中国重要的发展理念，是推进现代化建设的重大原则。2005年8月，时任中共浙江省委书记习近平在浙江省安吉余村首次提出了“绿水青山就是金山银山”这一关系文明兴衰、人民福祉的发展理念，要求追求人与自然的和谐、经济与社会的和谐，既要绿水青山，又要金山银山。因为，绿水青山是“人的无机的身体”，只有留得绿水青山在，才能保护人类自身，破坏了绿水青山，最终会殃及人类自身。而只要坚持人与自然和谐共生，守望好绿水青山，就能永恒拥有绿水青山。
2013年9月7日，习近平在哈萨克斯坦回答学生提问时指出，中国明确把生态环境保护摆在更加突出的位置，既要绿水青山，也要金山银山；宁要绿水青山，不要金山银山，而且绿水青山就是金山银山。中国绝不以牺牲生态环境为代价换取经济的一时发展。建设生态文明、建设美丽中国的战略任务，就是为了给子孙留下天蓝、地绿、水净的美好家园。
绿水青山和金山银山，是对生态环境保护和经济发展的形象化表达，这两者不是矛盾对立的关系，而是辩证统一的关系。一方面，绿水青山既是自然财富、生态财富，又是社会财富、经济财富。良好生态本身蕴含无穷的经济价值，能够源源不断创造综合效益，实现经济社会可持续发展。另一方面，绿水青山是人民幸福生活的重要内容，胜过金山银山。良好生态环境是人民群众的共有财富，是最公平的公共产品、最普惠的民生福祉。
绿水青山就是金山银山的发展观，继承了“天人合一”的中华民族生态智慧，体现了人与自然和谐共生的本质要求，阐述了经济发展和生态环境保护的关系，揭示了保护生态环境就是保护生产力、改善生态环境就是发展生产力的道理，指明了实现发展和保护协同共生的新路径。