China balances rural vitalization and ecology protection

Ma Zhiyi is a visiting scholar to the University of Melbourne and University of Hawaii. He is an expert with the Commission of Urban-Rural Development and Planning, China Society for Socio-economic System Analysis. The opinions don't necessarily reflect those of CCTV.com.

Dutang village, a small village in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, has transformed from a remote rural area into a popular tourist destination.

In recent years, agricultural technologies in China, such as the use of pesticide, plastic films and chemical hormone, have effectively increased production volume and enriched crops varieties. However, it has somewhat changed the traditional farming method, affecting the health of farmland and worsening the environment.

In light of the situation, China has done the efforts to better promote rural development while protecting ecology. For one thing, China has maintained a seasonable, regulated and harmonious Chinese farming culture, which has cultivated Chinese farmers' ability in seed selecting, stocking and breeding, as well as the method of intense and meticulous farming. The scientific thoughts, including the farming season conception of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, the circulation conception of turning waste materials into useful things, the strict economy conception of encouraging frugality, have been passed on; For another, China has deepened reforms on science and technology to encourage agricultural intellectual property of farming practice, which has made major breakthroughs in agricultural techniques to guarantee high quality agricultural development.

Wei Cifen from Dali, Yunnan has dedicated herself to preserving high quality seed varieties.

In addition, many individuals have practiced the principle of rural vitalization while protecting ecology. Wei Cifen is a farmer from Weishan, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. She has noticed the harm done to ecology and farmland because of the excessive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide. Years ago, she has dedicated herself to preserving high quality seed varieties which have been passed down by ancestors. Wei's decade of efforts paid off. Now, the "Lady-Wei Seeds" has become a household local brand. In the 92-hectare ecologically friendly farming area in Tiantang Village, Dali, 22 kinds of well-preserved ancient seed varieties, such as xiaoyangmai, xiaohuagu, have been successfully planted, and 11 traditional Chinese medicinal materials have also been preserved.