Putting concept into practice

"When people in Yucun were still nostalgic about its booming mining days and uncertain about its future, Xi's concept served as guidance for the development of the village," said Yu Xiaoping, deputy Party chief of Yucun.

However, it took some villagers in Yucun some time before they fully grasped the essence of Xi's concept of environmental protection.

In 2005, Pan, who used to be a tractor driver in the mining industry, started the homestay business, the first of its kind in Yucun. Meanwhile, some villagers, who doubted that tourism would work, launched small workshops to make bamboo products.

Initially, the bamboo business prospered, with one workshop generating an annual revenue of about 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, while the homestay business was overshadowed.

However, as the local environment improved, visitors began to pour into the picturesque village, helping tourism to soar. "Tourism began to get better in 2006. I made 300,000 yuan that year," said Pan.

Facing crackdowns on pollution and heavy fines for safety incidents, many owners of bamboo workshops found it increasingly hard to continue their business. They began switching to tourism, running homestays and organizing fruit-picking and canoe tours.

"Rome wasn't built in a day, and so it was for Yucun," said Yu, explaining that after villagers saw for themselves the contrast between the two development models, they fully understood Xi's concept and made the right choice.

Today, Yucun has become a popular and well-known scenic spot. The site of the demolished cement factory has been transformed into a plantation and a large piece of land has turned into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds. New forms of business, such as camping bases and cultural and creative industrial parks, have also been introduced into the village.

"In recent years, more and more young people returned to the village to work or start their own businesses. My son returned to the village after graduation and now runs a homestay," Ge said. "The environment here is beautiful and my family is living a happy life. This is the life I want."

In 2021, Yucun was named one of the "Best Tourism Villages" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In 2022, the collective income of Yucun reached 13 million yuan. It is expected to reach 15 million yuan this year.

Over the past 18 years, the changes in Yucun have vividly demonstrated the great value of Xi's ecological concept. The idea that originated from this small village has spread across China, and generated a broad and strong international resonance.

The United Nations Environment Programme decided to promote China's philosophy of ecological progress in February 2013 and in 2016 released a report on China's strategies and practices in this field.