Why Do "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains" Matter to China?
The concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has gained traction throughout China, inspiring numerous villages to transform ecological advantages into economic and social gains, while also creating significant international impact and recognition.
TroibNews 
Yucun Village, situated in Zhejiang Province in eastern China, has gained recognition as one of the world's "Best Tourism Villages" thanks to its stunning green tea mountains, vibrant flower fields, and picturesque buildings characterized by traditional white walls and black tiles.
However, the village faced significant environmental challenges two decades ago, with polluted water and dust-covered trees under a dreary sky, as it relied heavily on limestone mining and processing for its economy.
In the early 2000s, local officials in Yucun confronted the severe environmental issues and made the decision to shut down cement plants and mines. This action drew commendation from Xi Jinping, who was then Party secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On August 15, 2005, during a visit to Yucun, Xi referred to the closure of some mines as "a wise move." He remarked, "We used to say that we wanted both lucid waters and lush mountains, as well as mountains of gold and silver. In fact, lucid waters and lush mountains are mountains of gold and silver."
Following his visit, Xi elaborated on this idea in a newspaper article, articulating the need to "choose the right direction and create conditions to continuously turn lucid waters and lush mountains into mountains of gold and silver."
Over the years, this vision has permeated throughout China, inspiring thousands of villages to leverage ecological benefits into economic and social gains, leading to widespread international recognition.
In February 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme highlighted China's ecological progress philosophy, and in 2016, it published a report detailing China's strategies and practices related to this vision.
Last year, August 15 was designated as China's National Ecology Day.
As part of its commitment to the belief that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," China has implemented significant measures to lower carbon emissions, decrease pollution, pursue sustainable development, and enhance its response to climate change since the 18th CPC National Congress.
In 2015, China enacted a revised environmental protection law, which has been deemed "the strictest" in history. The following year, pollution control emerged as one of China's "three tough battles," alongside poverty alleviation and risk management. In 2018, for the first time, China's Constitution included ecological civilization.
China's forest coverage rate has surpassed 24 percent, a significant increase from the 12 percent recorded in the early 1980s. Over the past decade, the country has reforested over 68 million hectares, leading the globe in newly planted forest areas, and has established the largest area of planted forests worldwide.
Water quality improvements are noteworthy, with 84.9 percent of surface water bodies achieving excellent quality levels, nearing those of developed countries.
Wildlife across various landscapes—including plateaus, mountains, and rainforests—is also rebounding as part of the initiative to develop the world's largest national park system. The first national parks, established in 2021 and covering 230,000 square kilometers, protect nearly 30 percent of China's key terrestrial wildlife species, ensuring the integrity of their ecosystems.
Regarding carbon emissions, China has recorded a 36.7 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP compared to 2012, and the density of PM2.5, a crucial indicator of air quality, declined by 57 percent from 2013 to 2022. Additionally, the number of days with severe air pollution fell by 92 percent.
As China approaches its second National Ecology Day, which falls on Thursday, it issued guidelines on August 11 to accelerate a comprehensive green transition across all economic and social sectors, marking the country's first systematic approach to green targets.
Furthermore, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July, resulted in the adoption of the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, which emphasized the need for deeper reforms in ecological conservation.
In a discussion with Xinhua, Sun Jinlong, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, stated intentions to establish a responsibility system for the construction of a Beautiful China and to enhance the modern environmental governance framework.
He indicated that a differentiated, region-specific ecological management system would be implemented, accompanied by a fully operational emissions permit system. Sun also shared plans to strengthen external oversight of natural resource asset stakeholders, develop the national carbon market, improve the voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction market, and create a market-oriented innovation system for green technologies.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
However, the village faced significant environmental challenges two decades ago, with polluted water and dust-covered trees under a dreary sky, as it relied heavily on limestone mining and processing for its economy.
In the early 2000s, local officials in Yucun confronted the severe environmental issues and made the decision to shut down cement plants and mines. This action drew commendation from Xi Jinping, who was then Party secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On August 15, 2005, during a visit to Yucun, Xi referred to the closure of some mines as "a wise move." He remarked, "We used to say that we wanted both lucid waters and lush mountains, as well as mountains of gold and silver. In fact, lucid waters and lush mountains are mountains of gold and silver."
Following his visit, Xi elaborated on this idea in a newspaper article, articulating the need to "choose the right direction and create conditions to continuously turn lucid waters and lush mountains into mountains of gold and silver."
Over the years, this vision has permeated throughout China, inspiring thousands of villages to leverage ecological benefits into economic and social gains, leading to widespread international recognition.
In February 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme highlighted China's ecological progress philosophy, and in 2016, it published a report detailing China's strategies and practices related to this vision.
Last year, August 15 was designated as China's National Ecology Day.
As part of its commitment to the belief that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," China has implemented significant measures to lower carbon emissions, decrease pollution, pursue sustainable development, and enhance its response to climate change since the 18th CPC National Congress.
In 2015, China enacted a revised environmental protection law, which has been deemed "the strictest" in history. The following year, pollution control emerged as one of China's "three tough battles," alongside poverty alleviation and risk management. In 2018, for the first time, China's Constitution included ecological civilization.
China's forest coverage rate has surpassed 24 percent, a significant increase from the 12 percent recorded in the early 1980s. Over the past decade, the country has reforested over 68 million hectares, leading the globe in newly planted forest areas, and has established the largest area of planted forests worldwide.
Water quality improvements are noteworthy, with 84.9 percent of surface water bodies achieving excellent quality levels, nearing those of developed countries.
Wildlife across various landscapes—including plateaus, mountains, and rainforests—is also rebounding as part of the initiative to develop the world's largest national park system. The first national parks, established in 2021 and covering 230,000 square kilometers, protect nearly 30 percent of China's key terrestrial wildlife species, ensuring the integrity of their ecosystems.
Regarding carbon emissions, China has recorded a 36.7 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP compared to 2012, and the density of PM2.5, a crucial indicator of air quality, declined by 57 percent from 2013 to 2022. Additionally, the number of days with severe air pollution fell by 92 percent.
As China approaches its second National Ecology Day, which falls on Thursday, it issued guidelines on August 11 to accelerate a comprehensive green transition across all economic and social sectors, marking the country's first systematic approach to green targets.
Furthermore, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July, resulted in the adoption of the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, which emphasized the need for deeper reforms in ecological conservation.
In a discussion with Xinhua, Sun Jinlong, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, stated intentions to establish a responsibility system for the construction of a Beautiful China and to enhance the modern environmental governance framework.
He indicated that a differentiated, region-specific ecological management system would be implemented, accompanied by a fully operational emissions permit system. Sun also shared plans to strengthen external oversight of natural resource asset stakeholders, develop the national carbon market, improve the voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction market, and create a market-oriented innovation system for green technologies.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
