In the city of Xiamen, East China’s Fujian prov-ince, nature surprises visitors with its beauty: egrets dance on Yundang Lake, Gulangyu Island’s greenery contrasts with its red tiles, and the sea and sky blend seamlessly in Wuyuan Bay.
Chinese President Xi Jinping cherishes Xiamen deeply. From his post in the coastal city to leadership roles in Fujian and the central authorities, Xi’s ecological protection initiatives on Xiamen have yielded significant results.
As a key birthplace and early adopter of Xi’s ecological ideas, Xiamen has pursued systematic ecological governance and contributed to high-quality development through marine ecological restoration for over 30 years, fostering harmony between man and nature.
Xiamen has earned titles like International Garden City, United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honor award winner, and National Forest City, yet its beauty wasn’t always so apparent.
In 1985, the State Council expanded Xiamen’s Special Economic Zone. That summer, Xi took up the new post of member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Xiamen Municipal Committee and executive vice mayor of Xiamen.
At that time, Xiamen’s cityscape was antiquated. After some research, Xi gained a clear understanding of Xiamen’s ecological value, emphasizing that development should never come at the cost of the environment.
Yundang Lake, once a fishing port on Xiamen Island, was heavily polluted due to industrial and domestic sewage discharge, greatly affecting the lives of local residents.
Addressing the issue was a formidable and costly challenge for Xiamen, recalled 81-year-old Zhang Yihe, who has witnessed Yundang’s ecological transformation.
On March 30, 1988, Xi chaired a special meeting on cleaning up Yundang Lake. At the meeting, Xiamen established a leadership group overseeing the task, and allocated 10 million yuan (about $1.39 million) annually from the city’s budget for two years.
“Ten million yuan was a significant investment. It was equivalent to one-tenth of Xiamen’s annual infrastructure expenditure at the time,” Zhang said, adding that it showed the resolve of the city authorities to treat the polluted lake.
Various measures were implemented. Industrial enterprises around the lake were all shut down and relocated, sewage plants were built, and seawater was channeled into the lake to revitalize the water body. In 1992, a dragon boat race was held on Yundang Lake, symbolizing the success of its transformation.
With a total investment of about 2 billion yuan over the past 30-plus years, Yundang Lake now features clear water and abundant aquatic life, serving as a scenic spot for residents and tourists alike.
After cleaning up Yundang Lake, the local au-thorities initiated a comprehensive ecological restoration effort to turn Xiamen into a beautiful and modern international city.
Junying Village, once among Xiamen’s poorest, suffered greatly from over-exploitation. During a 1986 visit to the village, Xi encouraged locals to grow tea and fruit while preventing soil erosion. Eleven years later, during another visit, he reiterated the need for afforestation and sustainable development.
Xi’s instructions helped improve the local ecology and the quality of the tea, boosting tourism and the livelihoods of residents. Today, Junying has become a popular tourist attraction.
During his posting in Xiamen, Xi spearheaded a 15-year development plan for the city, a section of which was dedicated to addressing environmental issues, with a sound ecology established as a strategic goal for Xiamen. This set a national precedent.
During his leadership posts in Fujian and the central authorities, Xi remained committed to Xia-men’s ecological development. His guidance has shaped its transformation into a city that balances economic development with environmental protection, and achieves harmony between man and nature.
With limited land and a dense population, Xia-men had long faced pressure on its environmental carrying capacity, especially on the Xiamen Island, which accommodates nearly half of the city’s population.
In 2002, Xi, then deputy Party chief and governor of Fujian, proposed the idea of shifting Xiamen’s urban planning from island-based to bay-based.
Since then, the city has undertaken a succession of comprehensive renovation and development projects in five bay areas, aiming to create a “beautiful blue bay” surrounding the city.—INP
