Xi Story: Cultivating the sweet fruit of rural revitalization

LANZHOU -- In September, the air in Tianshui city in Gansu province, Northwest China, is filled with the scent of ripening apples, and farmers like Dong Guihong are busy gathering the early autumn harvest. This year, Dong was joined in the orchard she worked in by a special visitor: President Xi Jinping.

When Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended his hand to Dong, she was momentarily stunned by the gesture, but quickly removed her gloves to shake hands, marking a memorable encounter in the local apple production base.

This was Xi's first inspection tour outside Beijing after the conclusion of the reform-themed third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July.

In the orchard, which is part of the production base, Xi spoke with Dong as well as other apple growers and agricultural technicians amid trees laden with ruby-like Huaniu apples, a specialty fruit of Tianshui. He asked details of the quality and characteristics of Huaniu apples, including the planting techniques, market sales and the daily lives and work of the local farmers.

Responding to Xi's queries, Dong said that since the beginning of spring this year, she has been busy with all kinds of work, such as tending apple trees, bagging apples, and laying weed barriers.

"With a daily pay of 110 yuan (about $15.49), I can earn up to more than 30,000 yuan a year," said Dong, whose village is not very far from the orchard.

After being briefed by local officials on how the base has ensured the quality and yield of apples by implementing refined management methods, Xi encouraged the locals to aim for greater success in developing the apple industry and live happier lives.

In Tianshui, Huaniu apple cultivation began as early as 1925. With favorable conditions like moderate rainfall, abundant sunshine and mild temperatures, the apple has developed into a high-quality product and Tianshui's signature agricultural export over the decades.

The apple production base visited by Xi boasts about 10,000 hectares of apple orchards, which produced 220,000 tonnes of fruit in 2023, with a total value of about 600 million yuan. Across the 25 villages involved, the per capita income from the fruit industry has reached over 8,000 yuan in the year.

Tianshui's agricultural success is a prime example of how specialty industries have driven China's rural revitalization, an area of great importance to Xi.

Xi has emphasized the importance of developing such industries on multiple occasions, including his domestic inspection trips. He visited apple orchards during inspection tours of Shaanxi, a neighboring province of Gansu in 2015 and 2022.

In 2015, Xi traveled up a steep, winding mountain road to visit an orchard located on the upper reaches of Liangjiahe village in Yan'an city. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this very village was where a young Xi spent seven years working and studying as an "educated youth" -- urban youth sent to remote rural areas to "learn from farmers."

There, the president congratulated the orchard's owner, Zhang Weipang, on his successful business, saying: "Weipang, you are a rich man now!" He also encouraged locals to stay committed to developing the apple industry.

Like Tianshui, Yan'an has a long history of apple cultivation spanning decades. Today, apples are a signature product of the city's rural areas, and played a crucial role in lifting Yan'an out of absolute poverty in 2019.

In October 2022, Xi visited the city again, shortly after the closing of the 20th CPC National Congress. This time, when touring an orchard in Nangou Village, he praised local apple growers for their use of drip irrigation and refined management practices.

"This is agricultural modernization," said Xi. "You have found an industry development direction that suits you best."

In recent years, many rural areas across China have identified industries well-suited to their local conditions, effectively "planting the seeds" of rural revitalization through industrial development.

Beyond apples from Tianshui and Yan'an, oranges from Ganzhou in Jiangxi province, strawberries from Dandong in Liaoning province, and numerous other specialty products have gained prominence in the market, significantly contributing to local social and economic development.

As Xi emphasized during his visit to the apple orchard on Sept 11, rural revitalization hinges on the development of local industries, and each region should harness its unique strengths and forge a path toward revitalization that aligns with its specific conditions.