21st Century Business Herald:

As a major agricultural province, the construction of livable, prosperous, harmonious and beautiful rural areas in Heilongjiang province is closely related to the well-being and sense of achievement of rural people. What measures has Heilongjiang taken to learn from and apply the experience of the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" project in promoting comprehensive rural revitalization? And what achievements have been made? Thank you. 

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your interest in this matter. I'd like to invite Mr. Xu to answer these questions.

Xu Xiangguo:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past few years, we have been diligently promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in line with the specific conditions of Heilongjiang province. We have placed significant emphasis on respecting the will of the people and have implemented concrete measures in the following key areas:

First, we organized study visits to Zhejiang province and hosted thematic seminars. Simultaneously, we held a series of on-site meetings to promote progress, and enable officials at all levels to transform their learning into practical work efficiency through hands-on experience. Through a category-based, region-specific approach, we advanced village planning and constructed five types of beautiful and livable villages, including ecologically friendly villages, well-preserved ancient villages, and aesthetically pleasing and livable villages.

Second, we have implemented a five-year living environment improvement campaign, promoting initiatives such as domestic sewage treatment, household garbage management and enhancements to the appearance of villages. We have also introduced innovative residential construction projects, resulting in 95% of villages across the province becoming cleaner, tidier and more orderly.

Third, we have implemented the initiative to create 100 exquisite villages, 1,000 demonstration villages, and 10,000 beautiful villages. We aim to cultivate distinctive industries, improve public services, and drive the overall creation and enhancement of 9,829 villages (state farms) across the entire province. 

Fourth, we promulgated the regulations of Heilongjiang province on the promotion of rural revitalization and formulated and implemented guidelines for the overall revitalization of rural areas. We established and improved mechanisms for integrated urban-rural management and protection, public participation, and performance evaluation and incentives.

You asked about specific achievements in comprehensive rural revitalization. I think that they can be summarized using three words to provide you all with an introduction.

The first word is "beauty," which describes the picturesque village landscapes. We have focused on creating 100 exquisite villages at the provincial level and 1,000 demonstration villages at the municipal level, promoting the construction of livable, business-friendly, harmonious and beautiful rural areas across the province. Currently, the 54 China beautiful leisure villages and 87 pilot programs for improving residential environment across Heilongjiang have together created a beautiful new rural landscape. As many netizens have commented, "Rural life here is very soothing and appealing."

The second word is "harmony," which signifies the harmonious spirit of the countryside. Our rural areas are tranquil, and local people are pure and unpretentious, just as the lyrics say, "In harmony, neighbors and kin, with unity found in young and old alike." There, we can see and feel the mutual assistance among villagers, who live together as members of one family. We can also feel their sincerity and enthusiasm towards guests. At present, across the province, there are 728 national demonstration villages and towns for rural governance, with 5,212 exemplary villages promoting interconnected development. 

The third word is "happiness," which reflects the joy of the farmers. In the past, people carved out a living in the vast wilderness, setting up shacks, living in cellars. Through their hard work, they turned the once desolate "Great Northern Wilderness" into the now prosperous "Great Northern Granary." Now, leveraging ecological advantages and snow and ice resources, farmers actively engage in new industries and business forms, such as agrarian cultural exhibitions, leisure fruit picking, and forest wellness retreats. They have fertile soil for entrepreneurship, ample job opportunities, and with increased incomes, their wallets have grown fuller. Wealth springs from the chernozem soil, and happiness abounds in this great natural oxygen bar. That's all from me. Thank you.