In Xi's footsteps: Achieving harmony with nature (7)

President Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to ecological conservation. Following in his footsteps across China, let's explore his vision of harmony between humanity and nature. (7)

On July 25, 2023, Xi visited Cuiyun Corridor in Jiange county, Guangyuan, Sichuan province, an important section of an ancient passageway, known as shudao.

The corridor is home to a well-preserved ancient artificial cypress forest in which the oldest tree dates back over 2,300 years.

Xi walked along the ancient passageway to observe the growth of the millennium-old cypresses, and inquired in detail about the planting and protection of cypresses in history.

He noted that this man-made cypress forest has survived for so long and been protected so well, thanks to the inheritance and practice of such policies since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including a logging prohibition for both officials and civilians, and the transfer of responsibility for protecting these trees along with the transition of local government power.

More importantly, it has benefited from the collective protection efforts made by local residents from generation to generation.

This tells us that a well-functioning institutional framework is key to ecological conservation, and so is the strict implementation of policies, Xi said.