On March 12, 1979, the first Arbor Day in New China, Deng Xiaoping went to Pangezhuang, Daxing County, Beijing to participate in tree planting activities
Deng Xiaoping was the founder of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the chief architect of China's reform, opening up and modernization. What is less well known is that Deng Xiaoping was also an advocate and practitioner of "Beautiful China". On the basis of reliable historical facts and documentary materials, the author sorts out and analyzes the efforts and contributions made by Deng Xiaoping after the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee in caring for and promoting afforestation, harnessing and improving the ecological environment, and beautifying urban and rural construction, so as to cherish the memory of the great achievements made by this great man of the century in seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
"This area is planted with trees, and this scenic area is very beautiful"
When confronted with or surrounded by beautiful natural environments, Deng Xiaoping would always express his sincere admiration. On the morning of February 9, 1983, in the process of inspecting the appearance of Suzhou, Deng Xiaoping said to the local comrades with a sigh: Suzhou gardens are a precious heritage left to us by our ancestors, and we must protect them well. As a scenic tourist city, Suzhou must attach importance to the greening work, formulate greening plans, expand the area of green space, mobilize cadres and the masses to plant trees voluntarily, and each citizen should plant 20 trees every year. On February 14, while visiting the Longjing and Jiuxi Scenic Areas in Zhejiang, Deng Xiaoping exclaimed: Your metasequoia trees here are very beautiful and straight. Metasequoia trees are good, which is economical and greens the environment, and can also be used when they grow thick, and have promotion value. The paulownia tree is also an economic tree, which grows very quickly, and the sheet material is good, and it is used to make boxes without seams, which is liked by the Japanese. The greenery in Hangzhou is good, which adds color to the beautiful West Lake scenery. You must protect the famous scenic spots of West Lake and develop tourism.
He understood the importance of greening to beautify the environment and improve the ecology, so when Deng Xiaoping saw a bare hillside or hilltop, he always reminded him to plant trees. On the afternoon of January 24, 1984, when he visited Rong City, Shenzhen, and saw the bare hills along the way, Deng Xiaoping reminded his entourage: There are many mountains where no trees are planted. When we passed through Shaoguan, we saw that the mountains there were also like this. Barren mountains and waters are all vast worlds with great potential for development and production.
On the morning of 12 March, Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang, Xi Zhongxun, Wei Guoqing, Fang Yi, Yang Shangkun, and more than 120 "New Long March Assaulters," outstanding League cadres, and members of the Communist Youth League of the Central Committee of the CPC Central Committee went to the afforestation base of the Ming Tombs Reservoir to plant trees. In the process of planting trees, Deng Xiaoping asked the responsible persons of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee and the Changping County Party Committee about the diversion of water from Yanqing to the Ming Tombs Reservoir and the success of afforestation in the previous year. If you plant more, you will live more. Deng Xiaoping pointed to a hillside in front of him and said, "This area is planted with trees, and this scenic area is very beautiful." ”
Deng Xiaoping actively advocated afforestation, not only because trees have the effect of improving ecology and beautifying the environment, but also have high economic value. On the morning of March 2, 1983, when Deng Xiaoping was talking with Hu Yaobang, Wan Li, Yao Yilin, and others, he calculated an account: "I was in Yanzhou, and I also looked at planting trees. The situation of planting paulownia there is very good, very planned, called grain forest intercropping, 13 plants per acre, which does not affect grain production at all. Two catties of chemical fertilizer are applied every year, and the timber is grown in ten years, and each plant gets 0.7 cubic meters of timber. Ten years later, the income per mu will be 200 yuan. Comrade Su Yiran told me that they also introduced a poplar tree from Europe, which has a very good variety, grows very quickly, and has very good timber. Therefore, there should also be a specific plan for planting trees. Where to plant what trees and where the seeds and seedlings come from, we must grasp it in a down-to-earth manner. ”
Deng Xiaoping was well aware of the importance of afforestation to the future development of a country as large and poor as China, so he not only actively advocated and promoted the effective development of tree planting and greening work across the country, but also participated in tree planting activities many times. On March 12, 1979, China's first Arbor Day, 75-year-old Deng Xiaoping, Hua Guofeng, Li Xiannian and others went to the Xue Ying Brigade of Pangezhuang Commune, Daxing County, Beijing to participate in afforestation activities, and pointed out: "Let the dolls develop a good habit of planting and loving trees from an early age. ”
In January 1986, Deng Xiaoping took a photo with Wang Zhen when he swam the Li River again
In the years that followed, Deng Xiaoping continued to participate in afforestation activities, sometimes with other central leaders, in tree planting activities arranged at the Beijing afforestation base or parks. On March 12, 1983 and March 12, 1984, Deng Xiaoping, together with other central leaders, went to the afforestation base of the Central Government of the Ming Tombs Reservoir to participate in voluntary tree-planting activities. On March 12, 1985, April 6, 1986, and April 5, 1987, Deng Xiaoping and other central leaders went to Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park to participate in voluntary tree-planting activities. On the morning of April 3, 1988, the 84-year-old Deng Xiaoping went to plant trees in Jingshan Park, another park in Beijing. On the morning of April 2, 1989, the 85-year-old Deng Xiaoping went to the construction site of the Asian Games Village in Beijing to plant trees.
Sometimes, Deng Xiaoping would also plant trees in other places on his way to other places. On the morning of February 10, 1984, Deng Xiaoping planted trees in Xiamen Wanshiyan Botanical Park; On the morning of January 22, 1992, Deng Xiaoping planted a banyan tree in the park when he visited Xianhu Park in Shenzhen.
Sometimes, Mr. Deng liked to bring his family or staff to plant trees. On March 12, 1982, Deng Xiaoping led his family and staff to participate in a tree-planting activity in Xishan, Beijing. It should be emphasized that Deng Xiaoping was particularly fond of taking his grandchildren with him to plant trees. On the morning of April 5, 1987, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Zhen and other central leaders went to the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing to participate in the Beijing Municipal Voluntary Tree Planting Day. In the process of planting trees, Deng Xiaoping pointed to his granddaughter and grandson and said to the people next to him: "My little granddaughter has been planting trees with me for six years, and I will bring another little grandson to plant trees this year." Let the dolls develop a good habit of planting and loving trees. ”
In the process of planting trees, Deng Xiaoping always told the staff around him to persevere in their work. On March 12, 1983, while participating in the tree-planting activities, Deng Xiaoping said to the cadres of the organs under the CPC Central Committee who participated in the tree-planting activities: "Afforestation and greening the motherland is a great cause for building socialism and benefiting future generations. Deng Xiaoping also reminded everyone to pay attention to improving the survival rate of tree planting. On March 12, 1982 and March 12, 1984, in the process of planting trees, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "To plant trees, we must choose good varieties of trees, and we must choose those varieties that grow quickly and can become timber. After planting, someone should manage it to ensure survival, and planting trees should not occupy good land. ”
"The afforestation army has also helped, and the results are not small"
On June 28, 1981, Deng Xiaoping, who was elected chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, instructed the People's Liberation Army to assist local governments in doing a good job in greening and supporting the country's forestry and agricultural construction. On February 2, 1982, Deng Xiaoping issued an instruction to the People's Liberation Army Air Force: "The Air Force should participate in professional flight missions to support agricultural and forestry construction for at least 20 years, and make contributions to accelerating the construction of agriculture and animal husbandry and greening the mountains and rivers of the motherland." In order to implement Deng Xiaoping's instructions, on 13 February, the Air Force submitted to Deng Xiaoping the "Arrangements for Implementing Specialized Flights to Support Agriculture." On February 16, Deng Xiaoping reviewed and forwarded this material to Hu Yaobang, Li Xiannian, Chen Yun and others. At the same time, Deng Xiaoping demanded that local governments must fulfill their due responsibilities and obligations. On July 14, Deng Xiaoping forwarded to Yao Yilin the "Report on the Situation and Ideas of Afforestation by Aircraft Sowing" submitted by the Ministry of Forestry: "40 million yuan per year, which is not a large amount, is fully incorporated into the national plan, and the local government should do a good job in planning and ground work to ensure quality." If this policy is adhered to for 20 years, it is possible to achieve greater practical results. How, please consider. ”
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) acted vigorously and resolutely to carry out Deng Xiaoping's instructions, and soon achieved initial results. On 26 March 1982, the All-Army Afforestation Committee held a teleconference, urging all units of the whole army to redouble their efforts, lose no time in launching the afforestation campaign, and complete the afforestation task in 1982 with quality and quantity. On behalf of the All-Army Afforestation Committee, Fan Ziyu, vice chairman of the All-Army Afforestation Committee, summed up the work of planting trees and greening in the whole army some time ago and put forward specific requirements for further doing a good job in tree planting and greening. He pointed out: At present, the planting of trees inside and outside the barracks has achieved initial results. However, don't let up. All military units should draw up a long-term plan in line with the requirements of adapting measures to local conditions, seeking truth from facts, highlighting key points, and making rational arrangements, so as to carry out the work of planting trees and greening trees in a down-to-earth manner. Units that have not yet completed this year's tree-planting task should lose no time in completing the task as soon as possible. Units that have already completed the task of planting trees should make efforts to manage them and strive to increase the survival rate of trees. All military units should educate cadres, soldiers, workers, and their families to take loving trees and protecting forests as their own conscious actions, so as to create a glorious and good practice of protecting forests. All military units should regard the large-scale cultivation of seedlings and the running of nurseries as the focus of this year's greening work, gradually achieve self-sufficiency in seedlings, and lay a good foundation for planting trees every year in the future.
By the end of May 1982, all units of the People's Liberation Army had exceeded their afforestation tasks for that year, and the PLA had planted more than 36 million trees (176 percent of the 1982 plan) on the four sides of the camps, planted more than 155,000 mu of forests, and supported local voluntary planting of more than 35 million trees. The Central Greening Committee spoke highly of the army's voluntary tree planting: "The People's Liberation Army has actively participated in voluntary tree planting and set an example for the people of the whole country. ”
On 15 December 1982, the All-Army Greening Committee sponsored an all-army greening exhibition at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, which displayed in the form of a large number of pictures and objects the achievements of commanders and fighters of various units in planting trees in the Gobi Desert, barren mountains and bald mountains, Haiphong Islands, and inside and outside the barracks. On the 16th, the People's Daily reported on the exhibition: "The vast number of commanders and fighters of the whole army resolutely implemented the "Resolution on Launching the Voluntary Tree-planting Campaign for the Whole People" adopted by the Fourth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress, and in response to the call of Deng Xiaoping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, carried out extensive mass afforestation activities inside and outside the camps. Over the past year, the whole army has planted more than 20 trees per person, afforested 150,000 mu in patches, and raised more than 20,000 mu of seedlings. ”
On 16 December, the All-Army Conference on Summing Up Experience in Afforestation and Commending Advanced Workers was held in Beijing, and the conference closed on 24 December. Deng Xiaoping, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, wrote an inscription for the conference: "Planting trees, greening the motherland, and benefiting future generations." Wan Li, on behalf of the State Council and the Central Greening Committee, delivered a congratulatory speech to the conference, highly praising the People's Liberation Army for its contributions to building and defending the motherland, and for playing an exemplary and leading role in greening the motherland. In his speech at the meeting, Yang Shangkun pointed out: Greening the motherland is a long-term combat task of the whole army, and the commanders and fighters of the whole army should not only green the barracks and take the lead in enforcing the forest law, but also help the localities do a good job of afforestation, get out of the barracks, set up forests in patches, and actively assist the government in stopping the phenomenon of indiscriminate deforestation. The conference commended 30 greening red flag units, 136 advanced collectives, and 25 advanced individuals that have emerged in the whole army over the past year since the launch of the nationwide voluntary tree-planting campaign, and awarded award flags, certificates, and prizes. The All-Army Afforestation Committee urged the vast number of commanders and fighters to be more energetic, immerse themselves in hard work, become leaders in afforestation, pioneers in greening the motherland, and models in abiding by forestry policies, and conscientiously complete the "Outline of the All-Army Afforestation Plan" formulated by the congress.
Deng Xiaoping personally gave face-to-face instructions to the commander of the unit on the tasks and requirements of greening. On January 17, 1983, the People's Daily reported that Deng Xiaoping, then chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, asked the Lanzhou troops to draw up a plan to support local construction, and resolved to devote 20 years to assisting the local government in greening the Northwest Plateau, changing the natural appearance of the Northwest Plateau, and benefiting future generations. Deng Xiaoping explained these demands to Zheng Weishan, commander of the Lanzhou Military Region, who was about to take up his post. At the enlarged meeting of the party committee of the Lanzhou Military Region, Zheng Weishan conveyed Deng Xiaoping's demands and opinions. The party committee of the Lanzhou Military Region conscientiously discussed Deng Xiaoping's instructions and requirements, studied measures for implementing them, and further revised and enriched the plan for afforestation and support for local construction in the barracks from 1982 to 1985.
In the course of promoting the cause and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, including afforestation and greening the motherland, Deng Xiaoping gradually summed up and refined an experience, that is, to concentrate the forces of all quarters, including the armed forces, to carry out key construction. From June 25 to 30, 1983, the Central Work Conference was held in Beijing, mainly to discuss the issue of concentrating financial and material resources to ensure key construction. While attending the meeting, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "All localities should learn from the experience provided by the Luan diversion project. That is, we should pay attention to arousing the enthusiasm of all quarters and make use of the forces of all quarters, including the strength of the armed forces, as long as we can save some money for the country, we can use them. Not only did the Luan project army make a contribution, but also the afforestation army, and the results were not small, including the sowing of the air force planes. This will continue for decades. On July 27, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued a propaganda outline of "Concentration of Financial and Material Resources to Ensure Key Construction", emphasizing that concentrating financial and material resources to ensure key construction is an important link in economic construction in the coming period.
On April 5, 1987, Deng Xiaoping planted trees with his granddaughter. On the left is Peng Zhen
"To Guilin is to see the reflection in the water"
From 5 to 28 April 1979, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee convened a central work conference to focus on discussing some major issues in the readjustment of the national economy and the political economy, put forward the principle of "readjustment, reform, rectification, and improvement" for the entire national economy, and decided to complete the task of readjusting the national economy in three years from 1979. On April 17, Deng Xiaoping attended the meeting and delivered a speech after a briefing, in which he focused on environmental pollution and its control across the country. He pointed out: "The number one most polluted country is Lanzhou. A small fertilizer factory in Guilin has soiled the entire Guilin landscape, and the reflection of Guilin's landscape is invisible. Beijing wants to plant grass, and the pollution can be reduced by planting grass. All civil boilers should be transformed to provide unified heating. One is to save fuel, and the other is to reduce pollution. Someone has to catch this matter, and it makes a big difference whether it is caught or not. There are some laws to be enacted. Beijing's factory pollution problem must be solved within a time limit. ”
The pollution of Guilin's mountains and rivers has always been a concern for Deng Xiaoping. On the afternoon of October 15, 1973, while accompanying Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife on a tour of Guilin's Reed Flute Rock, Deng Xiaoping saw a scene that was extremely incongruous with the beautiful Guilin landscape: smoke billowing from the towering chimneys of Guilin's steel mills, and the Fanglian Pond and Taohua River were heavily polluted. On the 16th, Deng Xiaoping accompanied the guests on a tour of the Li River. At this time, the water of the Li River was polluted, and some temporary buildings, piles of garbage and man-made bamboo forests could be seen everywhere along the river.
That night, after the guests had rested, Deng Xiaoping summoned the local officials and inspected the pollution of the Li River with them, analyzed the causes of the pollution, and discussed ways to deal with it. Deng Xiaoping pointed out that Guilin is a world-famous scenic and cultural city, and the Li River is an important part of this famous city. You are all right to grasp production and urban construction, but if you do not manage the Li River well, no matter how fast the industrial and agricultural production develops and how well the municipal construction is, it will not be worth the effort! After returning to Beijing, Deng Xiaoping presided over a meeting of the State Council to discuss the issue of the management of the Li River. Soon after, the State Council issued the "Decision on Restoring and Maintaining Guilin's Landscape as Soon as Possible," instructing the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region party committee and government to put the control of the Li River on the agenda and to take practical measures to bring the Li River under control as soon as possible.
On January 27, 1986, Deng Xiaoping visited the Li River again and asked the local comrades: "When I came here in 1973, there was a factory that polluted the Li River, has the pollution problem of the Li River been solved?" When he saw the reflection in the clear water, Deng Xiaoping sighed and said: The water of the Li River is much better now, and the reason for going to Guilin is to see the reflection in the water. You can take a windsurfing boat to transform the windsurfing boat for tourism. The draft of the windsurfing boat is shallow, the water is larger, and the reflection can be clearer. Now the stones are visible. The mountains here are really beautiful, and there is no other place. When I came in 1973, the water was bigger than it is now, but black.
Deng Xiaoping was concerned not only about the pollution control of enterprises, but also about the environmental sanitation of enterprises. On the afternoon of September 13, 1978, Deng Xiaoping arrived in Benxi and inspected the Benxi Iron and Steel Company, the Benxi Mining Bureau, and other units. In a subsequent meeting with the responsible persons of the Benxi Municipal CPC Committee, the Benxi Iron and Steel Company, and the Benxi Mining Bureau, Deng Xiaoping pointed out in a pertinent manner: "You are relatively good at home, but you are still backward compared with the developed countries. If you want to go to the developed countries, you should see how people are doing it. In the past, we didn't know a lot about foreign countries. "We have businesses that are too dirty and not well managed. Japan is well managed. The first thing is to pay attention to hygiene, and the second is to pay attention to safety. If any factory is dirty, that factory will definitely not be well managed. Environmental sanitation is done well, and there are fewer diseases among people. As soon as the person is tidy, the mental outlook is also better. The cleanliness of the factory is also a manifestation of comprehensive ability. ”
On September 14, 1978, when Deng Xiaoping inspected the Daqing Oilfield, he also emphasized the issue of environmental management, instructing "Daqing to grow more trees" and "build Daqing into a beautiful oilfield". When listening to the report, Deng Xiaoping stressed that "we must properly deal with the 'three wastes' in view of the serious pollution of oil, gas, and chemical industry." The 'three wastes' problem of our chemical industry has not been solved well, and the Shanghai Jinshan Project has not been treated well, and a lot of waste has been discharged into the sea, and the fish are gone, which is very polluting. After learning about the wages and housing of the workers in the Daqing oilfield, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "Daqing has made a great contribution, and the wages of the workers are too low, so they should be raised." Houses should be built better, buildings should be built, and building materials should be made. Before leaving Daqing by special train in the evening of the same day, Deng Xiaoping told the person in charge of the Daqing Oilfield: "We must build Daqing into a beautiful oilfield." ”
"Beijing has changed so much, I can't even recognize it"
Deng Xiaoping not only paid attention to afforestation and pollution control, but also attached importance to beautifying the environment and beautifying cities. On the morning of September 19, 1978, when inspecting the winch room, the fresh air shaft, the hydraulic comprehensive shearer repair workshop, and the residential area of the Kailuan Coal Mine under construction, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "The net height of the buildings and rooms should be reduced, the usable area should be expanded, the water and gas pipes should be installed, and the problem of bathing should be considered. In this way, the area is small, the use value is high, it is also clean and hygienic, saving materials, and the cost of building a four-story building can be a five-story building. At the same time, residential areas should be planted with flowers and trees, and greening should be done well. ”
At noon, Deng Xiaoping watched the construction planning model of Tangshan's old urban area and Fengrun New District in the conference room of the No. 1 Guest House of the Tangshan Municipal Party Committee, and after listening to the report on Tangshan's urban construction planning, he made an important speech and instructions on the construction of a beautiful new Tangshan: "In the past, the old city of Tangshan was untidy and unclean, and the layout was very messy, unreasonable and compact"; "Modern cities should be rationally arranged, one link at a time, and at the same time, the pollution problem should be solved. Waste water and waste gas pollute the environment, which also reflects the level of management. In the current plan, there are fewer commercial outlets and not many movie theaters. The architecture of the new Tangshan should be beautiful, colorful, and not the same. After building one or two communities, it is necessary to sum up the experience and continuously improve and improve. The second batch should be done very well, combining beauty, applicability, and economy. Urban construction is a science. At present, capitalist management stresses aesthetics, psychology, and greening. It's not for nothing that aesthetics make people feel comfortable and affect people's moods. The architectural style of a district, don't do the same, in fact, it doesn't cost much. In short, you should plan well for the construction of New Tangshan, not from the viewpoint of the 50s, but from the viewpoint of the 70s. ”
Deng Xiaoping has always been very concerned about the construction and beautification of Beijing. Although he is already old, he still insists on planting trees for the greening and beautification of Beijing for many years. Not only that, he also inspected and inspected Beijing's urban construction many times, and promoted the further development and beautification of Beijing's urban construction.
On the morning of October 20, 1978, Deng Xiaoping, accompanied by Lin Hujia, then member of the CPC Central Committee, first secretary of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee, and director of the Beijing Municipal Revolutionary Committee, inspected the newly built apartment buildings in Qiansanmen, Beijing. Deng Xiaoping affirmed Beijing's efforts to improve the people's living conditions and put forward his opinions on the problems existing in the new housing. He pointed out: "In the future, when building residential buildings, the design should strive to have a reasonable layout, increase the usable area as much as possible, give more consideration to the convenience of residents, such as installing some shower facilities as much as possible, and pay attention to the beauty of the interior decoration, and use more new lightweight building materials to reduce housing costs." At the same time, it is necessary to ask some people who can find fault with them to give their opinions and study how to build a better residential building. ”
On August 29, 1979, Deng Xiaoping inspected four experimental residential houses with frame light plates in the western suburbs of Beijing, and pointed out that it is necessary to set up a new lightweight building materials factory as soon as possible, pay attention to quality, reduce costs, "quality includes beauty, and there should be more patterns", and "the quality of houses built with new lightweight building materials should be better and better".
On the morning of February 28, 1979, when Deng Xiaoping met with Alaska Governor Jay Hammond and his entourage to discuss the issue of Beijing's municipal construction, he told the guests: "Beijing's appearance is still not good. We've done some things in 29 years, but there's still a lot more that needs to be done. It's a bit of progress, but it's not fast. On October 31, 1993, Deng Xiaoping took a car tour of Beijing, and after inspecting the Beijing Airport Expressway and the Siyuan Overpass, he exclaimed: "Beijing has changed so much that I can't recognize it." ”
As a statesman and a far-sighted reformer with the tortuous experience of "three downs and three ups," Deng Xiaoping firmly believed that only when the productive forces developed, the comprehensive national strength increased, and the people's living standards improved, could the superiority of the socialist system be fully demonstrated. Therefore, building a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful modern socialist country is not only the goal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also an excellent proof of the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.
Source: Party History Expo