The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently circulated a notice of commendation for several counties that have achieved outstanding performance in China's nationwide campaign to improve the tidiness of rural villages.
Among them were three counties in East China's Zhejiang province: Pingyang county in Wenzhou, Jiashan county in Jiaxing, and Chun'an county in Hangzhou.
A corner of a village in Pingyang county in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: zjfabu]
In 2020, Pingyang authorities invested nearly 100 million yuan ($15.5 million) in improving the environment of rural villages. All villages in the county have adopted garbage sorting systems. Black and odorous water bodies have been almost eliminated in villages. Public toilets in villages were renovated and rated, with 200 of them being granted stars.
A corner of a village in Jiashan county in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: zjfabu]
Jiashan authorities removed illegal buildings in the public spaces of villages, transforming them into public facilities like pedestrians, parks, and parking lots. It also encouraged villagers to plant trees, vegetables, and flowers in the idle land near their houses.
A corner of a village in Chun'an county in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: zjfabu]
Chun'an authorities earmarked 116 million yuan ($17.95 million) for garbage sorting and cleaning in rural villages. A network of sewage treatment piles, measuring 3,700 kilometers in length, was built, benefitting all villagers in the county.
The 20,000-plus Zhejiang villages have basically been provided with centralized treatment of household waste, clean toilets, and efficient sewage treatment.
