"Gansu looks like a 'jade ruyi' on China's map. It intersects the Loess Plateau, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau, and covers the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and inland river basins, serving as an ecological barrier in the west of the country."

Zhang Yongxia, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and spokesperson for delegations from Gansu to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, introduced the province's ecological situation with a metaphor while meeting with journalists for group interviews on Oct 19, 2022.

According to Zhang, over the past 10 years, with the care and support from the central government, the northwestern province has seen people work together to win the tough war of poverty alleviation, to achieve moderate prosperity in all respects and to greatly improve the environment of the Qilian Mountains.

Protecting lucid waters and lush mountains

Gansu has made efforts to protect and restore the ecological environment in the Qilian Mountains, rectify mineral properties, and build hydropower stations and tourist facilities in the protected area.

The tough battle of pollution prevention and control has already borne fruit. In 2021, the average number of days with good air quality in the province reached 90.2 percent. "Lanzhou Blue" has become a new business card.

The province has also systematically formulated ecological protection and high-quality development plans for the Yellow River Basin, adhering to a three-pronged approach on water conservation, soil stabilization and sand control. Statistics show that the combined proportion of Gansu's state-controlled water sections with good-quality surface water increased to 92.68 percent.

With an improved ecology and environment, rare wild animals such as snow leopards have reappeared in the region.

Comprehensively promoting rural vitalization

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Gansu province has lifted 75 counties and 5.52 million people out of poverty.

"We know very well that shaking off poverty is not the finish line, but the starting point of a new life and new endeavor, especially for Gansu, where imbalance in provincial regional development is still very prominent," Zhang noted, adding that the province will promote rural revitalization from four aspects:

Continuous monitoring and assistance mechanisms will be enhanced to prevent the population falling back into poverty.

Leading businesses will be supported in building modern agricultural parks with cold and drought characteristics.

Taking measures to speed up the facelift of rural infrastructure and improve the quality of people's life based on different local conditions.

Deepening Party building to lead rural governance, which is conducive to combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue.

"As we firmly follow the path of 'environmental protection first and green development', a scroll painting of gorgeous mountains and rivers has unfolded before us," said Zhang.