On the afternoon of March 5, General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress where he was. After learning about the new development of Yonglian Village in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, in pursuit of common prosperity, General Secretary Xi Jinping said cheerfully, "You are the first to take the road of rural revitalization for common prosperity, and you should take this road. We should continue to promote common prosperity and take the road of Chinese modernization."

To promote common prosperity, the most arduous and arduous task is still in the countryside. From the south of the Yangtze River to the north of the Great Wall, from the old revolutionary base areas to the frontier of opening up, each village finds its own way, adapts measures to local conditions, and strives to find a development path suitable for its own characteristics.

（1） New pursuit of a hundred billion village

["When we say common prosperity, we mean common prosperity for all people, and prosperity for both material and spiritual life of the people" - Xi Jinping]

This is the scenery of Yonglian Village, Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province (photographed on July 15, 2022). Photographed by Ji Chunpeng, reporter of Xinhua News Agency

The spring wind in March blows new green. Walking into Yonglian Village in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the houses are well arranged, with tender willows in front of and behind the houses; The small bridge and flowing water flow the charm of Jiangnan water town.

Chen Yundi, who is over 60 years old, and his old sisters walked into the township cinema, and they were familiar with the way to open the Yonglian One Point to One App on their mobile phones, scan the code, and exchange. Watching movies for free, drinking coffee for one cent, and exercising in the sports hall for 100 yuan a year... It is the daily life of villagers to save "Yonglian points" to exchange benefits by striving for good deeds.

Yonglian Village, reclaimed from the Yangtze River beach, was once the poorest village in the region. In the 1980s, taking advantage of the spring breeze of reform and opening up, this beach village went from "taking grain as the key link" to "prospering the village with industry", and the village run steel rolling plant gradually grew into Yonggang Group, one of the top 500 private enterprises in China. Yonggang Group was transformed twice in 1998 and 2000, leaving 25% of the shares to the village collective and planting a "cash cow" for the villagers.

In 2005, after retiring from the army, Wu Huifang returned to his hometown to serve as the secretary of the village party committee, leading his fellow villagers to continue their struggle. In just a few years, a modern "Yonglian Town" with prosperous industry and livable ecology has been built, including planning and construction of traffic roads, resettlement of housing, construction of modern farmers' markets, commercial blocks, hospitals, schools, etc.

However, Wu Huifang soon found that the conditions in the village were good, but the phenomenon of excessive drinking and gambling, and the conflicts and disputes in the neighborhood were constant... "It is said that the granary is solid and the etiquette is known, but this is not an overnight thing." Wu Huifang said, "I thought at that time, it seems that in addition to making the villagers rich in money and living a good life, there must be some new pursuit."

At the same time, the village set up a "civilized family award" to encourage the advanced and encourage the backward, and at the same time, it started from small things to cultivate culture and broaden its horizon. Build farmers' leisure parks, libraries, community service centers, etc., and open them to villagers free of charge; Invite domestic and foreign first-class cultural groups to perform here, and set up a number of dragon dance teams, waist drum teams and other mass cultural teams; Establish the Federation of Social Civilization Construction, start with public toilet civilization, sacrificial civilization, traffic civilization, etc., and gradually cultivate the awareness of civilization; Build digital life hall, digital Yonglian classroom, etc. to keep villagers up with the pace of the times

In 2023, the total industrial and agricultural income of Yonglian Village will be 161.6 billion yuan, the collective operating income of the village will be 335 million yuan, and the per capita net income of the villagers will be 73000 yuan. At the same time, Yonglian Village has been awarded the title of "National Civilized Village" for six consecutive times, and the spiritual and cultural life of the villagers has become more affluent.

"What is the rural form of Chinese style modernization?" Wu Huifang said with emotion, "Only half a question has been answered to realize material wealth. We must remember the General Secretary's instructions and answer the answer paper of spiritual wealth."

（2） From "Dry Beach" to "Golden Beach"

["We want to achieve common prosperity. We should first become rich and then become rich, and push forward the latter" - Xi Jinping]

On March 8, Liu Sisheng, a villager, worked in the greenhouse in Shuifa Haohai Modern Agricultural Industrial Park located in Hongsipu District, Wuzhong City, Ningxia. Photographed by Hou Xuejing, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency

"The 19 sheds I managed just picked more than 40000 jin of pepper two days ago. This crop of pepper can be picked until July, and then another crop of tomato can be planted. It should be no problem to earn nearly 300000 yuan a year." Liu Sisheng said with a smile.

Just after the sting, the chili peppers entered the peak picking period in Hongsibao Shuifa Haohai Modern Agricultural Industrial Park located in Hongde Village, Hongsibao District, Wuzhong City, Ningxia.

This industrial park is a cooperation project between the east and the west. After restructuring last year, Liu Sisheng, a villager living in the nearby Guangcai Village, was upgraded from "migrant worker" to "agricultural partner".

"This' agricultural partner 'is not called for nothing. The industrial park allocates agricultural materials from the east, and also sends technicians to be responsible for management. The vegetables and fruits planted are sold to the eastern cities, and I share the profits with the industrial park." He said, "In three months last summer, five sheds earned 50000 yuan, and I immediately added to 19 sheds." There are 39 "agricultural partners" like Liu Sisheng in the industrial park, managing 105 farmhouses.

In recent years, relying on the cooperation mechanism between the East and the West, advanced ideas from the East have been continuously imported into the West, extending from emerging fields to public services, helping to speed up rural revitalization in poverty free areas. By the end of 2023, Hongsipu District, where Hongde Village is located, has only one facility agriculture, which has achieved an annual income increase of more than 5300 farmers, 21000 migrant workers, and labor income of more than 120 million yuan.

Hongsipu District is the largest relocation ecological resettlement area in China, where more than 200000 immigrants from Xihaigu live. At the beginning of poverty alleviation, there were 40 poor villages in Hongsipu, with a poverty incidence of 33%. The incidence of poverty in Hongde Village is as high as 88%, and the per capita annual income is only 1800 yuan. Old Liu recalled that the days of "food shortage in the pot, water shortage in the vat, and money shortage" were gone forever, and the "dry beach" had become "golden beach".

Now, the "Golden Sand Beach" has unlimited spring scenery: more than 100000 mu of wine vineyards, Chinese wolfberry, day lily, traditional Chinese medicine, beef cattle, Tan sheep and other characteristic agriculture to improve quality and efficiency; From almost no industry to modern industries such as new energy, light industry and textile, the added value of industries above designated size has grown by 19.8% annually; The new residential buildings are neat and uniform. The cement roads extend in all directions. In the evening, the small square is full of laughter and laughter. Regular consultation and course guidance from eastern experts can be enjoyed at the entrance to the hospital and school. The goal of "being able to move, be stable, and become rich" is gradually becoming a reality.

The three storey modern transparent glass greenhouse in the industrial park stands out in the continuous agricultural greenhouses in the bright spring. From afar, I can see the staff busy shuttling.

"The biological laboratory has just started to breed seedlings these days. In the future, seedlings will no longer have to be transported from the east. Mastering this technology will leave a technical team behind." Li Qi, the head of the industrial park, said, "We have introduced more than 6 million yuan of soilless cultivation equipment, which will be put into production in May this year to plant tomatoes for the northern, Shanghai and Guangzhou markets."

This is Hongde Village, Hongsipu District, Wuzhong, Ningxia (photographed in July 2023). (Photographed by Tian Fei)

The former model of poverty alleviation is now the first to become rich. In 1972, when the United Nations Food Development Agency visited Xihaigu, it thought it was "not suitable for human habitation". Today, Xi Haigu, who is on the road to common prosperity, is opening up a new world full of vitality. The changes of Hongde Village reflect the development of the largest ecological resettlement area in China, and also epitomize the process of "dry beach" becoming "golden beach".

"Although we are weak birds, we also have the same sense and action of flying first." Liu Sisheng said, "This year I plan to build a new house, learn some skills, and improve myself. My life now is a sequel to Mountain and Sea Sentiment."

（3） A thriving "selenium" village

["Vigorously develop characteristic industries according to local conditions, promote the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas, and broaden the channels for farmers to increase income and become rich." - Xi Jinping]

This is the rape field in Tantou Village, Zishan Town, Yudu County (photographed on March 6). (Photographed by Xiao Zhangrong)

In Yudu, Jiangxi, the morning light is slightly exposed.

"This area is planted with selenium rich rice, selenium rich rapeseed oil, selenium rich vegetables, and there is a certain village named 'Selenium' Wang Village in our village." Sun Guan, a descendant of the martyrs in Tantou Village, Zishan Town, pointed to the selenium rich farmland behind him.

Nearby, rape flowers are in full bloom in the rural fields, modern standard vegetable greenhouses are lined with white walls, black tiles, green trees, and landscape pavilions

This beautiful picture full of hope is hard won. Just a few years ago, as the Red Army Village in the old area of southern Jiangxi, there was a popular saying: "Zishan Tantou is a place where people can bear hardships at both ends. When it is sunny for three days, people can pick up the shoulder and rain for three days, and water can enter the stove. Once the bucket goes upstairs, there is no rice to go to the pot."

From poverty alleviation to rural revitalization, Tantou Village has always put the key to development on characteristic industries, and realized the old look and new look by taking the road of "industry enriching people and tourism revitalizing the village". "Our village has convenient transportation, more than 6000 mu of selenium rich land and rich red resources, which are valuable wealth for the development of the village," said Liu Jinhua, deputy director of the Tantou Village Committee.

In order to expand and strengthen the selenium rich industry, Yudu County introduced Shenzhen Maoxiong Group, a leading enterprise, and adopted the business model of "leading enterprises+cooperatives+bases+farmers" to drive farmers to participate in the industrial development. The leading enterprises not only brought modern planting technology, but also opened a broad market. Vegetables are exported to Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Bay Area.

As more and more tourists come to Tantou Village, the "two committees" of Tantou Village take the lead in setting up a tourism development company to attract villagers to participate in cooperative operation, develop selenium rich catering, red tourism, rural homestay, farming experience and other characteristic projects, and receive about 600000 tourists every year.

Relying on culture and selenium rich industries, develop industries to enrich people, integrate into the urban-rural integration development pattern, improve the appearance of villages, strengthen infrastructure construction, and promote the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism

The local government has launched a "combination fist" for rural revitalization, and made efforts to make the old area a vast world for entrepreneurship and wealth, attracting more and more villagers to return home to start businesses and find jobs.

Just after the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, the clothing factory of Liu Weijun and his wife in their early 40s officially opened in Tantou Village. When they worked in Guangdong, they accumulated rich experience in textile and clothing management.

"Our factory now has more than ten employees, all of whom are local villagers. They can get 3000 or 4000 yuan salary a month, and have more time to take care of the elderly and children near work." Liu Weijun said that great changes have taken place in the village in the past five years. It only takes 15 minutes to get to the county seat, and the infrastructure is not inferior to the county seat.

In 2023, the collective economic income of Tantou Village will reach more than 3.5 million yuan, far more than 50000 yuan in 2019. On the tenth day of the first month of this year, Tantou Village distributed dividends to villagers for the fifth consecutive year. After signing, pressing the hand print, receiving dividends, and counting the amount, 342 villagers' representatives who had shares looked at the "real gold and silver" they had received and smiled happily. "Now our family has several incomes from working, home stay rent and share dividends, which amounts to more than 200000 yuan," Sun Guanfa said cheerfully.

Only by taking the road of common prosperity to revitalize the countryside can people's lives be better and better. On the "wall of smiling faces" at the entrance of the village, the moving smiling faces of the villagers are the best witness of a happy life.

This is the "Smiling Wall" of Tantou Village (photographed on January 24). Photographed by Lai Xing, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency

"Now, we are working harder to continue to promote rural revitalization and stride forward towards common prosperity," said Liu Jinhua, "Next, in addition to continuing to do a good job in the selenium rich vegetable industry and actively promoting the certification and trademark registration of selenium rich products, we should also increase tourism promotion efforts to meet the needs of local tourists and the tourist market in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, and continue to do a good job in integrating agriculture, culture and tourism."

[Reporter's Notes]

Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism and an important feature of Chinese modernization. However, China has a population of more than 1.4 billion, and the realization of common prosperity in such a large country with such a large population has no precedent for its long-term, arduous and complex nature. The most important thing is to follow its own path based on national conditions.

In the Yangtze River Delta, Yonglian villagers, who are rich in material resources, strive to be equally rich in spirit; In Xihaigu, people in Hongde Village are relying on their own hands to create a happy life after getting rid of poverty through the cooperation mechanism between the East and the West; In the old revolutionary base area, Tantou Village grasped the "local specialty" to broaden the road to wealth, and the vast fields nurtured new hope... Although there were three villages and three paths in time and progress, they eventually adapted to local conditions and supplemented the weak points, which bred a new momentum of development and forged a development path suitable for themselves.

There is no shortcut to common prosperity, which must be achieved through the hard work of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. People are diligent and spring comes early. As long as we stick to doing one thing after another and work year after year, the blueprint of common prosperity will eventually become a reality.