Imagine a village where crystal-clear waters reflect lush green mountains, where vibrant fields of flowers sway under a blue sky, and charming houses boast traditional white walls and black tiles. Sounds like a scene from a movie, right? 🎬 Well, welcome to Yucun Village in east China's Zhejiang Province, recently crowned one of the world's \"Best Tourism Villages\"! 🏆
But did you know that just 20 years ago, Yucun was wrapped in gray skies, with polluted waters and dust-covered trees? 🌫️ Back then, the village relied heavily on limestone mining and processing. It brought in the cash, sure, but at a huge cost to the environment. 💰❌🌳
Fast forward to the early 2000s, and the villagers decided enough was enough. They shut down the cement plants and mines, aiming to restore their natural paradise. This bold move caught the attention of Xi Jinping, then Party secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). During his visit on August 15, 2005, he praised their decision as \"a wise move.\" 🦸♂️
\"We used to say that we wanted both lucid waters and lush mountains, as well as mountains of gold and silver. In fact, lucid waters and lush mountains are mountains of gold and silver,\" he said. 🌊🌲 = 💰💰
And he was right! Over the years, Yucun's eco-friendly transformation became a shining example for the entire country. 🌟 Villages across China began to embrace the idea that protecting nature isn't just good for the planet—it's good for business too! 🌍❤️💼
China took this to heart and made some big changes. In 2015, they introduced a new environmental protection law, nicknamed \"the strictest\" ever. 📜🔥 By 2018, \"ecological civilization\" was even added to the country's Constitution! 🇨🇳📖
The results? China's forest coverage has more than doubled since the early 1980s, planting over 68 million hectares of new forests—the largest in the world! 🌳🌳🌳 Water quality has improved, with 84.9% of surface water now meeting excellent standards. 💧✨ Wildlife is making a comeback too, thanks to the world's largest national park system established in 2021. 🐼🐯
They've also made strides in reducing carbon emissions, cutting CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 36.7% compared to 2012. Plus, the air is cleaner, with PM2.5 levels dropping by 57% from 2013 to 2022. 🌬️👍
Just recently, on August 11, China rolled out new guidelines to speed up a green transformation in all sectors. They're aiming high, and the future looks greener than ever! 🌿🚀
So next time you think about how one village can make a difference, remember Yucun's journey from gray to green. It's proof that with determination and the right mindset, we can turn things around—not just for ourselves, but for the whole planet. 💪🌎
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
