5. Xi on the Yellow River

Xi Jinping’s feelings about the Yellow River

Xinhua News Agency reporters Zhang Xiaosong, Lin Hui, Gao Jing, Xu Zhuang, Qi Qi, Zhang Yan

The Yellow River falls from the sky and flows through the East China Sea, thousands of miles are written in the mind.

Starting from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, passing through high mountains, crossing canyons, converging hundreds of rivers, and absorbing thousands of streams, the Yellow River runs for more than 5,400 kilometers in the land of China, nurturing thousands of Chinese people and nourishing the glorious Chinese civilization.

General Secretary Xi Jinping is concerned about this mother river of the Chinese nation. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he has traveled to nine provinces and regions in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Wherever he looks and where he stops, he has long-term plans for the future of the mother river.

“Let the Yellow River become a happy river that benefits the people.”

With sincere words and intense emotions, the Nine-Meander Yellow River stirs up a more powerful symphony of the new era.

The rule of the great river——

“The history of the Chinese nation’s governance of the Yellow River is also a history of country governance.”

On September 17, 2019, Zhengzhou, Henan, the Yellow River Museum’s “River Management for Thousands of Years” exhibition hall.

General Secretary Xi Jinping stared for a long time in front of a historical map of the Yellow River diversion.

The area of ​​the overflow reaches Tianjin in the north and Jianghuai in the south, spanning 250,000 square kilometers. The swaying streamlines are whipping towards the earth like a whip, bringing misery to the people.

The Yellow River is not only the mother river and life river of the Chinese nation, but also a rebellious and troubled river.

Once upon a time, the Yellow River had “many siltations, many overflows, and many migrations”, “it burst twice every three years, and changed its course once every hundred years.” In the more than 2,500 years before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the lower reaches of the river overflowed more than 1,500 times and changed its course 26 times.

“The Yellow River is peaceful and the world is peaceful.” “In a sense, the history of the Chinese nation’s governance of the Yellow River is also a history of country governance.” Thinking about it for thousands of years, the General Secretary has deeply thought about the relationship between governance of the Yellow River and governance of the country.

For thousands of years, Chinese people have prayed for the safety of the Yellow River. After the founding of New China, history placed the important task of controlling Huang in the hands of the Chinese Communists. According to statistics, since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Yellow River has survived the autumn floods for more than 70 years and has been flowing continuously for 24 years. It has withstood 12 major floods and created a miracle of “hanging river above the ground” management.

“Practice has proven that only under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and giving full play to the advantages of the socialist system can we truly realize the historic transformation from passive to active management of the Yellow River and fundamentally change the tragic situation of the Yellow River bursting every three years.” General Secretary Xi Jinping said.

Arriving at the Yellow River National Geopark, General Secretary Xi Jinping walked along the bank of the Yellow River to inspect the surrounding environment.

Leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, you can see the sky is high and the water is wide, and the birds are flying in the dense forest. In the mind of the General Secretary, he has a grand blueprint for the safety of the Yellow River.

Among the five evils, water is the greatest. Well aware of the importance and difficulty of water control, General Secretary Xi Jinping once pointed out: “In the history of our five thousand years of Chinese civilization, some places have prospered and declined several times. Many rises and declines in history have happened in succession. If we want the country to be peaceful and the people to be safe and prosperous, we must be good at water control.”

The Yellow River is undoubtedly the top priority for water control.

“Everyone is very busy on the eve of National Day. No matter how busy we are, we still need to arrange time to study the Yellow River issue seriously. The Party Central Committee attaches great importance to this issue.” At the symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin on the second day, General Secretary Xi Jinping made it clear. .

“We all call the Yellow River the mother river. Protecting the Yellow River is a long-term plan related to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation.” The words of the General Secretary fully explained the great significance of the Yellow River to the survival and development of the Chinese nation.

“The Yellow River has less water and more sediment, and the uncoordinated relationship between water and sediment is the crux of the Yellow River’s complexity and difficulty.” “Although the Yellow River has not had major problems for many years, the hidden danger of water damage in the Yellow River is still like a sharp sword hanging over the head, and there is no way to control it. Let your guard down.”

With such a sense of urgency, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited the front line of the Yellow River many times to inspect the flood situation.

Dongying, Shandong Province, at the mouth of the Yellow River. On October 20, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came here. At that time, the autumn floods of the Yellow River had returned to the main river channel, but the “crossing” traces of more than 10 meters from the main river channel to the green belt of the dock were still clearly visible.

As soon as he got off the car, the general secretary asked where the water edge was when the water level was the highest some time ago.

“This is the waterside line when the floodplain flooded on October 8.” On the pier, the person in charge of the Yellow River Estuary Management Bureau held an exhibition board and reported to the General Secretary one by one.

The pier was windy and rough, so the General Secretary stretched out his hand to help support the swaying display board, carefully inspected it, and occasionally interjected questions.

When he heard that although the autumn floods on the Yellow River were “severe and dangerous,” there were no major losses or casualties, the general secretary nodded in affirmation.

“When I came here today, I have reached the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and I feel at ease.” General Secretary Xi Jinping said.

At a symposium two days later, the General Secretary once again talked to the comrades responsible for the Yellow River control about the original mission of the Yellow River control: to do a good job in the Yellow River. “This was also Chairman Mao’s long-cherished wish back then.” “Now we continue to do it. “.

“We cannot be satisfied with the results we have achieved. We must adhere to a problem-oriented approach, make persistent efforts, and unswervingly do a good job in all tasks.” The general secretary said sincerely.

There is a vast “beach area” in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The beach area between the main river channel and the flood control embankment is an important area for the Yellow River to carry out floods, detain floods, and settle sediment. It is also the place where people in the beach area live and produce.

“After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, I have been concerned about the relocation and reconstruction of the Yellow River floodplain area. It is a great thing to carry out comprehensive relocation and reconstruction.” In Yangmiao Community, Kenli District, Dongying, Shandong, the general secretary met him and had always been concerned about him. people in the Yellow River beach area.

“Three years to save money, three years to build a platform, three years to build a house, three years to pay off debts” was a true portrayal of the housing difficulties of the people in the beach area. Today, in the Yangmiao community, rows of buildings and roads are neatly intertwined, and modern convenience service facilities are complete, confirming the dramatic changes in the “poor den” of the past.

On the Yellow River dam, listen to history and see the changes; in the restaurant for the elderly, lift the lid of the pot and talk about everyday things; in the homes of the residents, ask about the changes and listen to the voices of the people... As I walked, watched and asked, a stone fell in the General Secretary’s heart. , “I am very relieved to see you all living and working in peace and contentment.”

“What does the Communist Party do? It serves the people and seeks rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Therefore, we must constantly look at what things need to be done well and what things must be done quickly. Managing the Yellow River is one of the major things.”

This is the party’s commitment to the people and the leader’s deep feelings for the people.

On the occasion of the arrival of 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a New Year’s message. He said: “In recent years, I have traveled to 9 provinces and regions in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Whether it is the ‘Mother River’ of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the rippling Qinghai Lake, the majestic Yarlung Zangbo River; whether it is the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of the Century, or the Seoul The ‘green map’ of Hanba Forest Farm; whether it’s Yunnan elephants traveling north and returning to the south, or Tibetan antelopes breeding and migrating... these all show that people live up to the green mountains, and the green mountains will definitely live up to people.”

Warm words are powerful and uplifting.

The beauty of the river——

“Work together to achieve great protection and coordinate to promote great governance.”

“I once said that the Yangtze River is sick, and the disease is not serious. Today I want to say that the Yellow River has always been weak and sick, with frequent flooding.” General Secretary Xi Jinping is worried about the “health” of the mother river.

The Yellow River disease has both objective constraints caused by congenital deficiencies and human factors caused by acquired malnutrition——

Among the country’s major river basins, the Yellow River basin has the largest proportion of water and soil erosion area in the basin’s land area; the ecology of the upper, middle and lower reaches is prone to degradation, and restoration is extremely difficult and slow; some areas have relatively high intensity of pollution emissions.

Ecological issues test historical perspective. Standing at the height of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, General Secretary Xi Jinping set the tone for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin - “jointly carry out major protection and coordinate to promote major governance.”

Overall pulse checking and systematic prescription. Coordinating the upstream and downstream, main branches, tributaries, and left and right banks, the General Secretary requested that the Yellow River ecosystem be planned as an organic whole: the upstream should focus on improving water source conservation capabilities; the midstream should focus on soil and water conservation and pollution control; the downstream should focus on protecting wetland ecology system to enhance biodiversity.

In August 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Qinghai for an inspection. Departing from Beijing, the plane headed west, passing through the North China Plain, crossing the Taihang Mountains, crossing the Loess Plateau, and arriving at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Outside the portholes, the water of the Yellow River surges all the way. The complex and changeable topography on both sides tells people that the ecological protection and management of the Yellow River Basin is extremely difficult.

Qinghai sits at the source of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River. The clean water output from here every year accounts for about half of the entire Yellow River basin. In the General Secretary’s mind, Qinghai’s ecology is like crystal, precious and fragile.

At Qarhan Salt Lake, learn about the development of circular economy in Qaidam; at a clean energy company, inspect the solar cell production line; at the Provincial Ecological Environment Monitoring Center, observe real-time monitoring of points such as Eling Lake and Zhaling Lake, the source of the Yellow River, through remote video Situation... During the inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping was very concerned about Qinghai’s ecological protection issues.

The general secretary made a clear request: “Qinghai’s greatest value lies in ecology, its greatest responsibility lies in ecology, and its greatest potential lies in ecology. The construction of ecological civilization must be placed in a prominent position.”

At a symposium, when it came to protecting the “Chinese Water Tower”, the General Secretary asked: Is it important to think about the GDP here or the green waters and green mountains? As a water conservation area, it is responsible for maximizing ecological functions, rather than deciding to build a factory, open a mine, and generate some GDP to live by yourself.

From the “Chinese Water Tower” Sanjiangyuan in the upper reaches, to the “Central Water Tower” Qinling Mountains in the middle reaches, and the “North China Water Tower” Shanxi... Mountains are one way, and water is one way. The General Secretary is concerned about “the great man of the country.”

“Your place is the North China Water Tower, a water conservation area for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, an important part of the Three North Shelter Forest, and an important barrier to protect the ecological security of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yellow River.” In May 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Shanxi during an inspection So emphasized.

Fenhe River, the second largest tributary of the Yellow River, gave birth to the splendid culture of the Three Jin Dynasties. Due to over-development in the basin, the ecology of Fenhe River has been greatly damaged and the water quality has been seriously polluted.

General Secretary Xi Jinping requested: “We must attach great importance to the ecological and environmental protection of the Fen River, so that this mother river in Shanxi can increase its water volume, improve its water quality, and make its scenery more beautiful.”

This time when he came to Shanxi, the General Secretary made a special trip to the bank of Fen River to take a look.

Local comrades reported that Taiyuan City has adopted measures such as comprehensive management of the Fen River and “Nine Rivers” and ecological restoration of the watershed. The water quality of the Fen River has gradually improved, and the green belts on both sides have become a place for citizens to relax and entertain.

The general secretary nodded frequently: “What a great change! Taiyuan has had the reputation of ‘Splendid Taiyuan City, surrounded by mountains on three sides and divided by water’ since ancient times. Now the beautiful scenery of Splendid Taiyuan is becoming a reality.”

“We must effectively protect and manage the Fen River, recreate the beauty of the late Yangfen River crossing in Kuching, and let a clear water flow into the Yellow River.” the general secretary emphasized to local leading cadres.

Looking north from the entrance of the Fen River to Huangkou, the Yellow River splits the Shanxi-Shaanxi Gorge, and the loess plateaus on both sides are rolling. This is an important source of sediment for the Yellow River. Today, greenery is lighting up this yellow land.

In the golden autumn of 2022, the apple orchard in Nangou Village, Gaoqiao Town, Ansai District, Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province, is enjoying a bumper harvest.

General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into the orchard, had cordial exchanges with fellow villagers, and picked a big red apple.

Yan’an was once one of the areas with the most severe soil erosion in my country. Nowadays, with the continuous advancement of measures to control water and soil erosion such as returning farmland to forests and planting trees, the once ravines and maomaos have become shade trees and forests.

The general secretary once joined a team in northern Shaanxi. Recalling his days as educated youth, he said that in the past, fellow villagers in northern Shaanxi built terraced fields and planted crops. They faced the loess and turned their backs to the sky. They worked with old hoes and planted extensively but harvested little. It was very hard. Nowadays, the farmland on the hillside has been converted into forest species. After joining Apple, fellow villagers have jobs and stable incomes, their children have good education, the elderly have medical insurance, and their lives are getting better and better.

Think about what you do. From the source of the Three Rivers to the shores of the Bohai Sea, General Secretary Xi Jinping is full of concern wherever he goes and where his heart is.

In October 2021, at the mouth of the Yellow River, the General Secretary walked into the depths of the wetland along the wooden plank road and observed this paradise of animals and plants - in autumn, the sea breeze blew, the reeds swayed, and several swan geese and bar-headed geese perched in the water. On small and medium-sized continents.

According to the local responsible comrades, in recent years, through returning farmland to wetland and returning land to beach, we have promoted wetland restoration and the ecological environment has become better and better. “We are the hometown of China’s Oriental White Stork and the breeding ground of Black-billed Gulls. Since last year, flamingos, white pelicans and Spoon-billed Sandpipers have also been newly discovered.”

“Are there many tourists coming here?” the general secretary asked.

“At the peak, the number of annual tourists was 600,000. We have limited the maximum number of tourists per day,” the local person in charge replied.

The general secretary warned: “We must manage it well. Wetlands must not be polluted, and we must not hunt or set up nets to catch birds.”

Nowadays, the country’s first integrated land and sea national park is being created here, and a series of ecological protection and restoration projects are being promoted. The Damei Wetland is full of vitality.

“We must not do anything that is not conducive to the ecological protection of the Yellow River Basin.” The general secretary’s request was inspiring.

Upstream protection, midstream management, and downstream restoration. Following the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping, various localities have taken protection as the red line to “treat” the Yellow River, and the mother river has gradually regained its vitality.

The point of the river——

“Promote the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin and create the Yellow River Cantata in the new era”

“The seven provinces and autonomous regions in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River are underdeveloped areas. Compared with the eastern region and the Yangtze River Basin, there is a significant gap. The pace of transformation and upgrading of traditional industries lags behind, and the endogenous power is insufficient...”

Faced with the difficulties and problems existing in the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, General Secretary Xi Jinping once made a profound analysis.

Development or protection first? Control supply or demand? Looking for a place or a river basin? To promote high-quality development and face more contradictions and entanglements in the Yellow River Basin, we need to have a foresighted mind and vision.

From the source of the Three Rivers to the estuary, from the “Symposium on Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin” to the “Symposium on Deeply Promoting Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin”, General Secretary Xi Jinping investigated and thought, solved problems and set the tone all the way.

To promote high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between development and protection.

North bank of the Yellow River, Yuncheng, Shanxi. The colorful Salt Lake witnesses the industrial transformation of the “City of Salt Transport”.

On May 16, 2023, next to the Yuncheng Salt Lake, the white Hedong salt was placed on the exhibition stand. General Secretary Xi Jinping listened to relevant briefings based on display boards and exhibits, and inspected the Salt Lake on the spot.

With more than 4,600 years of salt mining history and 70 years of inorganic salt development history, Yuncheng has prospered because of salt, but it also faces the dilemma of over-exploitation, obsolete industries and increased pollution due to long-term resource dependence.

“Adhering to ecological priority and green development”, with the implementation of the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, Yuncheng is facing transformation opportunities.

Return the salt to the lake, vacate the cage and replace the bird!

Starting from 2020, all industrial production will be stopped within the protection scope of the Salt Lake, and the Salt Lake will begin to transform from a mining area and an industrial area into an ecological protection zone and a tourist check-in destination.

At the same time, Yuncheng is accelerating the cultivation and expansion of emerging industrial clusters such as automotive equipment manufacturing, new materials, green building materials, electronic information, food and medicine, and taking advantage of its location advantages to create a new highland for the opening up of inland areas.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the development direction of the provinces and regions along the Yellow River: All provinces and regions in the Yellow River basin must insist on protecting the ecology of the Yellow River basin as the baseline for planning development and promoting high-quality development.

To promote high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, we must balance the relationship between supply and demand.

Nanyang, Henan Province, spans the three major river basins of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Huaihe River, and is the location of the “faucet” and “master switch” of the first phase of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

“I have always wanted to come to this place.” On May 13, 2021, the first phase of the central line project started. General Secretary Xi Jinping stood on the bow of the ship and spoke with concern, “I have been paying attention to the construction of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the operation of this place and the immigration work here. I am very happy to take a look at it this time.”

Water, the source of life, is necessary for production. The spatiotemporal distribution of water resources in my country is extremely uneven, with summer floods and winter dryness, and the north is short of abundant and the south is abundant.

At a later symposium, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Entering a new stage of development, implementing new development concepts, building a new development pattern, forming a unified national market and a smooth domestic circulation, and promoting the coordinated development of the north and the south require water resources. strong support.”

In one sentence, water resources were placed at a strategic level related to national development.

The total amount of water resources in the Yellow River Basin is only 7% of that of the Yangtze River, but it is responsible for the water supply of 12% of the country’s population, 17% of arable land, and more than 50 large and medium-sized cities. The contradiction between supply and demand is even more prominent.

What’s the solution to the problem?

General Secretary Xi Jinping has a firm tone: We must use water to determine cities, water to determine land, water to determine people, and water to determine production.

This is a battle for deep water conservation and water control: promoting water-saving irrigation, developing dry farming, carrying out water conservation in livestock and fisheries, strengthening the use of recycled water, and promoting the use of rainwater...

This is a strict rigid constraint: establish a zoning management and control system for water resources carrying capacity, limit the scale of urban development, the construction of high water consumption projects and large-scale tree planting in areas with severe water shortages, and establish a total water withdrawal control system covering the entire basin. …

The entire Yellow River Basin took action, and the simple truth of “there are as many steamed buns as there are soups to soak in” was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

To promote high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, we must coordinate the relationship between the whole and the parts.

The Ningxia Plain is benefited from irrigation by the Yellow River and has been known as the “fortress to the south of the Yangtze River” since ancient times.

On June 9, 2020, at the Daoyu Space Rural Ecological Sightseeing Park in Helan County, Yinchuan City, General Secretary Xi Jinping climbed up to the observation tower and overlooked the entire park; he walked into the rice fields along the ridges and had a cordial conversation with the working villagers; Scoop up fish fry and crab seedlings and put them into the ditch next to the field...

Here, the General Secretary emphasized that attention should be paid to resolving the rice-water conflict, adopting water-saving technologies, actively developing water-saving, high value-added farming industries, and protecting the Yellow River water resources.

“Strive to build a pioneering area for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.” During that trip to Ningxia, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward ardent expectations for Ningxia.

Being first is not only an encouragement to dare to venture and try, but also a positioning to consider deeply.

It requires regions such as Sanjiangyuan and Qilian Mountains to “create more ecological products”, instructs major grain-producing areas such as the Hetao Irrigation District and Fenwei Plain to “contribute to ensuring national food security”, and instructs areas with good economic development conditions such as regional central cities to “improve Economic and population carrying capacity”…

From the overall perspective, General Secretary Xi Jinping accurately planned the development positioning of the provinces and regions along the Yellow River, guided the areas along the Yellow River to firmly establish the “one game of chess” idea, and played the Yellow River chorus in the new era.

To promote high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, we need to plan current and long-term relationships.

“The person who opened the canal will leave his name throughout the ages and history!”

On June 6, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, another important agricultural area by the Yellow River, and stopped for a long time in front of the sand table at the Water Quantity Information Monitoring Center of the Hetao Irrigation District.

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, decades of water conservancy construction have carved a seven-level irrigation and drainage system on the Hetao Plain that spreads like human blood vessels, with a total length of 64,000 kilometers, equivalent to one and a half circles of the Earth’s equator.

The general secretary was full of praise for this irrigation system: “It will be left as a century-old or millennium-old foundation in the future.”

On the second day, General Secretary Xi Jinping listened to a briefing on the local development of new energy and new materials industries, promotion of optimization and adjustment of industrial structure, and promotion of green and low-carbon development in Hohhot.

“What’s the plan next?” asked the general secretary.

The local comrade responsible for the development of the energy industry reported: “It is expected that by 2025, Inner Mongolia’s new energy installed capacity and power generation will more than double that of 2022, and the external electricity will more than quadruple.”

General Secretary Xi Jinping warned: “Inner Mongolia’s energy industry has long been dominated by coal and developed because of coal. However, the industry is too single and diversified development is the direction. Energy construction cannot rely solely on traditional industries, but must vigorously develop new energy and clean energy. Strive to achieve peak carbon neutrality and build a green China.”

From the irrigation canals in front of us, we can see the millennium-old foundation; from the new energy industry, we can see the prospects of a green China. General Secretary Xi Jinping is concerned about the current Yellow River and is also planning the future of the river basin.

“Promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin cannot be accomplished in a day.” To properly handle the relationship between the present and the future, General Secretary Xi Jinping earnestly warned -

“We must maintain historical patience and strategic determination, so that success does not have to be in my spiritual realm and success must have my historical responsibility. We must not only plan for the long term, but also work in the present, draw a blueprint to the end, one step after another. Keep up the good work and let the Yellow River benefit the people.”

The soul of the river——

“Yellow River culture is an important part of Chinese civilization and the root and soul of the Chinese nation.”

On January 26, 2022, the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the banks of Fenhe River were covered with auspicious snow and covered with white. Along the winding road, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Feng Nanyuan Village, Shizhuang Township, Huozhou City, Shanxi Province in the snow to visit the masses.

The white snow is lined with red window grilles, Spring Festival couplets and lanterns, making the small mountain village more peaceful, festive and full of New Year flavor.

The general secretary walked into the villager Shi Hongbing’s house. There are white noodles, red dates, red beans, and black beans on the table, and the family is making the local traditional festival food-Huozhou New Year Steamed Bun.

“Grandpa Xi, please put one.” The granddaughter of Division Hongbing asked the General Secretary to order a red date on the “Denggao Steamed Bun”, and the General Secretary readily agreed.

“Your side is the Luliang Mountains, next to the Yellow River, and beyond that is Shaanxi. The Yanchuan County where I jumped in is not far from here, and the terrain is also hilly and ravinelike. The Loess Plateau has been home to our ancestors for generations. Carrying our Chinese civilization.” Looking back on the past in Shanxi, the General Secretary’s thoughts traveled through the mountains and rivers of time.

The Yellow River shaped ancient civilization.

Water veins connect blood and cultural veins. The long Yellow River washes away the loess land, nurtures the descendants of Yan and Huang, and imbues the Chinese nation with the background of Yan and Huang.

At the symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, the General Secretary pointed out that “for thousands of years, the surging Yellow River, together with the Yangtze River, has nurtured the Chinese nation and given birth to Chinese civilization”;

Writing a letter to congratulate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Yangshao Culture and the birth of modern Chinese archeology, an important part of the Yellow River culture, the General Secretary emphasized “to better display the style of Chinese civilization and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture”;

In the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the General Secretary clearly stated that it is necessary to “build and make good use of the National Cultural Park”, promote the construction of the Yellow River National Cultural Park, and create a cultural business card that is national and world-wide compatible...

It originated here, was inherited here, and was splendid here. “Yellow River culture is an important part of Chinese civilization and the root and soul of the Chinese nation.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s words are meaningful.

“Soup in the morning, bran at noon, and the moon shining in the bowl at night.”

Gaoxigou Village, Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province, is a small ravine in the hilly and ravine area of ​​the Loess Plateau. The older generation in the village all have memories of not having enough to eat.

From “the mountains were bare and suffered from famine every year” in the 1950s to today’s “layers of terraced fields winding around the mountain tops, and patches of forest and grass covering the slopes”, there is a sharp contrast between the old appearance and the new appearance.

In September 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came here for investigation and said affectionately: “I heard the name of Gaoxigou when I was in Yanchuan, Dazhai Village in northern Shaanxi. Looking at your terraces, they are all down. He has mastered kung fu. What is rare is that he has been doing it for more than half a century.”

The old Qin Dynasty has been doing meritorious service for a long time. The layers of terraced fields in the Yellow River Basin are the sculptures of the severe environment for generations, where hope has been buried deep, sweat has been sown, and prosperity has been harvested.

The Yellow River tempers the national spirit.

The General Secretary once said emotionally: “The Foolish Old Man moved mountains and Dayu controlled floods. The Chinese nation has struggled with natural disasters for thousands of years and accumulated valuable experience. We will continue to fight.”

It is precisely because of the gift of the Yellow River that we have the material home and spiritual home that we have relied on for generations to survive; and it is precisely because of the unruly Yellow River that our cultural genes have more tenacious qualities, more extraordinary wisdom, and more Distinctive features.

During an inspection of Lankao County, where the last bend of the Jiuqu Yellow River is located, the General Secretary went to the Comrade Jiao Yulu Memorial Hall located on the sand dunes of the former Yellow River, and declared that Jiao Yulu’s spirit “was, is and will remain a precious spiritual wealth of our party”;

Visiting the Revolutionary Memorial Hall of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Border Area, 15 kilometers west of the Yellow River, the General Secretary said emotionally: “In the revolutionary war years, the people of Luliang used their blood and lives to create the great Luliang spirit. We must use this spirit in the current era and continue to contribute to the The common people live a happy life and strive for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”;

Coming to Shanxi, which is an important barrier to protect the ecological security of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Yellow River, the General Secretary emphasized the need to carry forward the “Youyu Spirit”: “Do more things that will benefit the present, benefit in the long run, and benefit future generations”;

…

In the heart of the General Secretary, the Yellow River has long been intertwined with the suffering and glory of the Chinese nation, tempering the resilience, strength and spirit of the descendants of Yan and Huang, and injecting an inexhaustible source of continuous development for the Chinese nation.

The Yellow River surges forward with the prospect of rejuvenation.

Anyang, Henan, is where the “Old Yuhe River” flowed thousands of years ago. On October 28, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Yinxu ruins located in the northwest suburbs of Anyang City. Observe unearthed cultural relics such as bronzes, jades, oracle bone inscriptions, and inspect physical specimens of animal-drawn vehicles and road relics from the Shang Dynasty in the Chemakeng exhibition hall... The General Secretary sighed: “Our cultural confidence comes from our long history that can truly prove us.”

Through wind and rain, experienced vicissitudes of life. Obtaining inspiration from history and showing confidence to the world, Chinese civilization will be reborn in the new era.

On May 18, 2023, in the Tang Furong Garden in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, Xi Jinping and his wife and distinguished guests watched the opening ceremony performance of the People’s Year of Culture and Art of China and Central Asian Countries and the China-Central Asia Youth Art Festival. The bold Qin Opera “Dream Back to Chang’an” and the high-pitched northern Shaanxi folk song “Ninety-Nine Bends of the Yellow River in the World” echo each other and have a long aftertaste, awakening the Chinese memory of Han style and Tang Dynasty, and showing the rebirth of the Silk Road and the grandeur of China in the prosperous age.

The magnificent Chinese scenery and the long songs of the Silk Road. This is a footnote of the era of openness, harmony, enterprising spirit, and the cultural charm of an old country with a new destiny, drawing on the past and enriching the present.

Take a good ride in the wind, see the sky thousands of miles away, and look straight down at the mountains and rivers.

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s words are shocking—

“The reason why rivers can break through cliffs and seize passes is because they have accumulated the great power of the ancient times, rushing thousands of miles and returning thousands of valleys... Now, the powerful energy accumulated by the Chinese people and the Chinese nation in the historical process has been fully exploded. , providing an irresistible and powerful force for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

Flowing from the profound and profound spiritual riverbed of the Chinese nation, the Yellow River is rushing towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

(Reporters Zhang Xiaosong, Lin Hui, Gao Jing, Xu Zhuang, Qi Qi, Zhang Yan)

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 26