Huge investment program yields stunning results in the suburbs

More villages built, which are greener, healthier and more harmonious

The Beijing municipal government launched a special project to construct beautiful villages on Nov 21.

The project echoes a strategy of rural revitalization proposed by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Villages are indispensable components of Beijing. On the outskirts of the city, beautiful villages will increase the sense of happiness for urban and rural residents.

According to the project, by the end of 2018, Beijing will complete the environmental improvement works and construction of beautiful countryside in around 1,000 villages along main roads, tourist sites and other important locations.

In 2019, Beijing will further the construction of another 1,000 beautiful villages in locations ranging from individual villages to surrounding areas.

The overall construction of Beijing's suburbs will be completed in 2020. At that time, the upgrade of the rural environment will involve many corners, streets and blocks, adding beautiful landscapes to the capital.

The village construction program was first put forward by the Beijing municipal government in 2006.

Beijing aims to build green, low-carbon, habitable, healthy and harmonious villages in its suburbs.

According to its requirements, Beijing launched five projects in infrastructure construction - to harden roads; green the environment; provide safe water supply networks, garbage disposal systems, and waste water disposal; and undertake widespread renovation of toilets.

Through the projects the Beijing government aims to light up the villages, warm up villagers' houses and bring agricultural resources into a healthy recycling pattern.

In the following years, Beijing will promote the development of urban and rural integration, leading to new quality levels in the construction of new villages.

In 2014, Beijing issued a document suggesting the construction of "beautiful countryside" featuring measures to cut down coal use, sanitize the air, renovate the power grid and improve the environment in its villages.

Evaluation standards for "beautiful villages" are set in terms of low carbon levels, a good environment, living conditions and a harmonious atmosphere. A total of 1,300 villages in Beijing passed the selection process.

According to the document, more than 15 percent of existing villages should launch "beautiful villages" construction projects every year.

Cai Qi, Party chief of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said while inspecting the Mentougou and Yanqing districts in July: "The environment is one of the most important aspects in the construction of a beautiful village."

Chen Jining, acting mayor of Beijing, said that the city will enhance village planning and protect traditional villages, balancing the relation between historical layout and current development.

Traditional villages are believed to be important custodians of Chinese customs and tradition. According to official statistics, a total of 44 villages were listed in the first batch of city-level traditional villages since 2012, of which 21 were enrolled on the National Traditional Villages list.

Officials say that after 10 years of work, many villages have taken on a new look.

Mentougou district's Shuiyuzui village, the starting point of the Ancient West Beijing Path, has transformed the direction of its development toward the ecological tourism industry.

The village offers a scenic landscape and some tourist hot spots, such as the Ancient West Beijing Path Museum, a military themed bar, small reservoir, rural paintings and calligraphy institutions, attracting many visitors every year.

Miyun district's Dongzhibei village impresses visitors with its parks, pavilions and artistically shaped stones, which are built from waste materials.

Gao Hemin, Party chief of the village, said: "In the past, the pavilion was useless and filled with rubbish. We utilized the bricks and tiles and rebuilt it into a new popular pavilion, which provides a place for villagers to exercise, sing and dance."

The Beizhai village in Huairou district was once known as an impoverished backwater. But in recent years, Beizhai village has built characteristic courtyards and cultural walls to enrich the beautiful village's culture.

Rural tourism

Sun Wenkai, Party chief of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Rural Affairs, said: "Recreational agriculture and rural tourism are important to the modern Beijing metropolitan agricultural sector."

Beijing's Miyun, Changping and another five districts are national demonstration districts of recreational agriculture and rural tourism.

The capital has 20 "Chinese beautiful leisure villages", selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, such as Guajiayu and Simatai villages, and 56 national five-star agricultural leisure parks.

Currently, Beijing has 1,201 agricultural leisure parks and 8,245 folk families hosting farm stays, which attracted more than 45 million visitors last year, generating revenue of 4.23 billion yuan ($640 million).

In the first three quarters of this year, the rural area received 32 million tourists, earning 3.16 billion yuan.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/29/2017 page7)