Prose about a three-day trip to Jiangyin

[Sunny Tuesday, September 19, 2000]

On this day, we went to Yixing City. Yixing City is more than 200 kilometers away from Jiangyin City. It is on the edge of Taihu Lake and has a population of more than 1.2 million. Its area is larger than Jiangyin City. Its annual GDP is more than 20 billion yuan, which is 10 billion yuan less than Jiangyin City. However, Yixing City relies on its unique natural scenery to vigorously develop tourism and other undertakings, and its momentum cannot be underestimated. The mayor who manages this city is Wu Fengfeng, who had been posted in Yili not long ago. When he heard that we were coming, he specially invited us to go to Yixing City to take a look.

The journey lasted two hours, and there were many houses along the way, but they were all brand new with whitewashed walls and blue tiles. According to Section Chief Zhang Guoxing who accompanied us, in the Jiangnan water town, there were all thatched houses in the 1950s. In the 1960s, tile-roofed houses were replaced. In the 1970s, corridors were expanded. In the 1980s, buildings were built, but the buildings were simple. In the 1990s, Pay attention to the style and decorate it inside and out. In my impression, even if the rural areas in the north become rich and build two- and three-story small buildings, they still pay attention to building courtyard walls and gates, with high walls and large gates, and occupy a lot of land. This place is more Western-style without being too rustic. There are clusters of houses in a village with the same structural design. The old-fashioned herringbone tile roofs are added to the two-story pink and white cement buildings, either red or green, and the front doors are uniform. There is no courtyard wall left, everything is open, either paddy fields, trees, flowers, or shopping malls and shops. Only a small courtyard is left at the back door, and it is neither high nor short. Looking at the differences between rich and poor in the south and the north, as well as the different ways of thinking, perhaps this house and courtyard wall is also a proof of it!

Yixing is adjacent to Zhejiang, with many mountains and rivers. Although the mountains are not majestic, they have no roots and veins and can be seen everywhere. Although the water is not as beautiful as the West Lake, it is quiet and gentle, giving people a sense of peace and tranquility. But as we go deeper, we see that many mountains have been destroyed by humans, losing their green color and showing half of their yellow faces, which makes people sigh and regret. Zhang Guoxing said that this was all caused by the lack of attention to protection when township and village enterprises were developed in the past few years. It has been difficult to recover for many years. Now it has been banned by legislation. In your western development, you must pay attention to the protection of the ecological environment!

On this day, we visited the magical Shanjuan Cave, Liangshan Bo Zhu Yingtai’s Reading House, the Ceramic Market, Wolong Pond, etc. Dinner at Yixing International Hotel at noon was invited by Wu Fengfeng. The young mayor was quite enthusiastic when he met us, as if he were meeting old friends in a foreign land. He kept asking, "How is our Yining City now?" ?",etc.

I came back in the evening and looked through the information and found that Yixing is really a place of outstanding people and has the reputation of "the hometown of professors". Not to mention the distance, there are great modern painters Xu Beihong, Yin Shoushi, Wu Guanzhong, music The rich cultural heritage of the scholar Zhang Quan, the scientist Zhou Peiyuan, and many ceramic artists plays a huge role in the thinking and economic construction of a region!

[Wednesday, September 20, 2000, sunny to cloudy and rainy]

This morning I went to Jiangyin City Federation of Literary and Art Circles with a friend from the Prefecture Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and other comrades or I went to Jiangyin Daily or Jiangyin TV station. Peers hold discussions and exchanges with peers. This is one of the contents of our inspection and interview. In the afternoon, we visited four schools: Jiangsu Nanjing Senior High School, Jiangyin Vocational Senior High School, Jiangyin Experimental Primary School, and Jiangyin Private Bell College.

At the Jiangyin Federation of Literary and Art Circles, a tall, middle-aged man with black hair received us. He heard that we were from Yili, Xinjiang, and extended his hands warmly: Welcome! I went to Yili last year and left a very deep and wonderful impression on Yili. Then he handed over his business card: Xia Guoxian. Good guy, 6 titles: Chinese calligrapher member, director of Jiangban Provincial Calligraphers Association, vice chairman of Wuxi Calligraphers Association, vice president of Wuxi Traditional Chinese Painting Academy, vice chairman of Jiangyin Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and president of Jiangyin Calligraphy and Painting Academy. Looking at the cabinets full of books, the walls full of calligraphy and photography, and the table full of ink, paper, and inkstones, you can tell that he is a master. Moreover, he seems to have a special liking for the natural scenery and folk customs of Yili Prefecture. There are several hangings on the walls. An enlarged photographic photo reflecting the natural scenery and folk customs of Yili.

He said: It was taken during his interview last year. Perhaps it was because he had been to Yili and left a good impression on him, so we hit it off immediately and talked freely and naturally. He talked to us about his experience in Yili, Xinjiang, the difference between the scenery in the west and the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, and the differences and characteristics of humanistic characteristics and ways of thinking caused by this difference.

As he spoke, he brought in a bunch of books, magazines, and information. From this we know that Jiangyin City is a national cultural model city and the “Hometown of Little Operas” and “Hometown of Stories” named by the province. The Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles has jurisdiction over seven groups including literature, folk literature, drama and folk arts, music and dance, art, calligraphy and seal cutting, and photography. It has 1 national institution - the Painting and Calligraphy Academy (Art Museum), and 8 town-level organizations. Federation of Literary and Art Circles, 2 Enterprises Federation of Literary and Art Circles (among which Sanmao Group Federation of Literary and Art Circles is the first township enterprise federation of literary and art circles in the province). There are 423 members in 7 professional associations, including 102 provincial members and 16 national members. Since the 1990s, 65 literary and artistic works of various types have been published, including 8 novels, 25 collections of essays, poems, and essays, and 14 literary scripts. 16 works have won national awards. Xia Jianyong, the author of "The Lost Glory" who won the first Lu Xun Literature Award, lives and works in Jiangyin. Looking through a large pile of books, I felt: Jiangyin is really full of talents! The most impressive ones are Xia Jianyong's "The Oblivion of Glory", Zhang Zhizhi's two-volume 800,000-word historical novel "Du Fu in Chang'an", Xu Yiqing's "The Garland of Life", and Wu Liya's "Pianyu". What interests me is Xu Yiqing. He served in Xinjiang and lived and worked in Hotan for nearly 20 years. Most of the works he wrote after his return reflected Xinjiang. People are very strange. When they live in one place for a long time, they will think that this is the place. Nothing is good, but once you leave forever, you will find that every plant and tree there is so fresh, so kind, so unforgettable, so worthy of chewing and savoring. I had read Wu Liya's "Pian Yu" in Yili Bookstore and found out that she worked in the propaganda department downstairs, so I asked if I could invite her to get acquainted with her. Sure enough, after a while, a light-stepping, simple and generous middle-aged lady with short hair and a pair of big eyes, passionate and hearty, walked into the door. She had the outspoken and bold temperament of a Northwester, beautiful and elegant. Wu Liya is really similar to her name. She said she had only been to Yili in August this year. When she got off the plane, she was attracted by the fresh and transparent air of the blue sky and white clouds. After returning, she wrote an essay "Falling into the Transparent World" and published it in Jiangyin Daily. He also said, you Xinjiang people are so simple and forthright. I was a guest at the 62nd Regiment Headquarters that day, and Commander Wu arrived late because of some work. He punished himself with a drink, apologized repeatedly, and after paying homage to the guests, he offered to sing a song for us: "We Communists are like seeds..." We were deeply impressed by Captain Wu's sincerity, open-mindedness and innocence. Moved, Captain Wu then sang a second song, to the effect of: When we farm, we stand guard, when we harvest, we guard, working hard on the borders of the motherland, for the motherland to become increasingly wealthy... At this time, our applause and tears blended together Together, the heroic temperament and pure heart are really touching. The cultural connotation of Xinjiang is so rich and different from other regions. We must explore it carefully. She said that she is going to write another essay, and the title is "The Beautiful Tianshan".

I was deeply moved by her love for Xinjiang, and I felt a little proud in my heart. However, when I thought about the differences in economic and cultural development between the two places, I restrained my desire to show off. Xia Guoxian said: Every time they publish a book, the city government must subsidize 70% to 80% of the funds, award certain bonuses according to the award level, and hold meetings to promote the content of the work and the author himself. , let everyone in the city and Wuxi know. The Municipal Party Committee has long had this strategic guiding ideology: not only to be a strong economic city in the country, but also to be a strong cultural city in the country. Let the economy go out of Jiangyin, go to the whole country, and rush into the world. The culture must also go out of Jiangyin, go to the whole country, and rush into the world. to the world.

After listening to Xia's words, I was filled with emotion and deeply admired the strategic vision and bold measures of Jiangyin City leaders.

A new and strong Jiangyin stands in the eyes of the whole country and the world, and it deserves it! I also thought, when will our Yili Prefecture be called not only the hometown of music, song and dance, but also the hometown of stories, opera, literature, and calligraphy? That is a sign that a region’s economy and culture are truly prosperous!

Before leaving, Xia Guoxian selected two pieces from the works he was going to hold in Japan for his personal calligraphy exhibition next month as a souvenir: "When the mountain breeze comes in summer, all the white paper on the table flies away. Keep the diary in the dreamland and watch the winter quiet." His words are free and easy, hearty, as powerful as a dragon, and as fast as a frightened snake, which makes people's imagination free, comfortable and beautiful. Seeing that I couldn't put it down, Xia sent me seven poems from his diary that he had recently written when he went to Yunnan with Jiangsu artists to collect works. One of them I like very much: "Yulong Mountain has been covered with snow for more than a thousand years. White water comes from the sky in layers, and cattle and sheep are idle on the spruce lawn. This is the best place to sleep."

After visiting four schools in the afternoon , I understood why Jiangyin has so many talented people and beautiful women, and why it has produced so many visionary politicians, entrepreneurs, etc. All of this stems from Jiangyin’s tradition of attaching importance to education since ancient times. In Jiangyin, high school education has been basically universalized in the city, and 91% of junior high school graduates are admitted to higher schools. Over the past 100 years, celebrities who have graduated from Nanjing Middle School include Wu Wenzao, Qian Changzhao, and Lu Dingyi; academicians of the two academies Cai Banghua, Cao Hehua, Sheng Jinzhang, Jiang Xinsong, and Xu Xueyan; famous writer Wang Zengqi, calligrapher Shen Peng, and educator Gu Mingyuan, music conductor Cao Peng...

At Jiangyin Vocational Senior High School, we have seen that this school trains more than 1,000 professional and technical talents of various types for the society every year. Not only is the supply exceeding demand, but also every year The income generated has reached more than 7 million yuan. Many of the students who have gone out from here have become factory directors, managers, and chairman of the board, started their own companies, and become a vigorous new force in Jiangyin City's economic construction.

Thinking is formed in a unique culture. What kind of culture will have what kind of thinking, and what kind of thinking will lead to what kind of development!

[Overcast on Thursday, September 21, 2000]

When I woke up in the morning, I saw that the sky was overcast, like a huge gray pot lid, covering the sky and the earth in the south of the Yangtze River. It was completely covered, and the towering high-rise buildings and the majestic Yangtze River Highway Bridge were all looming in the light smoke. The birds on the tree in front of the building didn't know where they were flying early.

After breakfast, our reporter took the opportunity to interview Comrade He Shirong, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangyin Municipal Party Committee and now the deputy secretary-general of the Ili Prefecture Party Committee. Facing the microphone and camera, he said calmly: "I have been working as deputy secretary-general of the Yili Prefecture Party Committee for more than a year, and I have a basic understanding of the situation in Yili Prefecture. It should be said that after more than 20 years of reform and opening up, Yili Prefecture's economic and social undertakings have made great progress, and it still has huge development potential and has many advantages and characteristics. In recent years, the economic construction and social undertakings in the eastern coastal area have developed rapidly, but there are also some problems. On the other hand, there are many areas where the east and the west can complement each other. As long as we seize the historical opportunity provided by the central government to implement the western development and make determined efforts, we will definitely be able to develop the western economy even better. The main difference lies in enterprises. Firstly, there are few enterprises in the west. Secondly, they are not strong enough. Thirdly, the mechanism is not flexible enough. Therefore, I believe that the main focus of economic development in the western region is to strengthen enterprises. First, there must be more enterprises, no matter what. In both the circulation field and the production and processing industry, we should set up more enterprises. Han Xin has a saying that "the more, the better". Second, enterprises must be strong, not the largest, but the strongest. They must create their own strong brand-name enterprises and strive for success. Go out of the west and go to the whole country and the world. Third, the mechanism must be flexible. No matter who runs the enterprise or what its nature is, as long as it can survive and develop, it can bring benefits to the local economy and social undertakings. If there are benefits, it should be allowed to develop. I believe that if the enterprises are revitalized, the economy of the western region will be improved."

He's answer was clear and logical, without any unnecessary words. He got to the crux of the problem and won warm applause from our group.

In the past few days, He and we have been together almost all the time. From acquaintance to familiarity, we deeply feel that He is a person with great political thoughts and organizational leadership capabilities. He has very rich experience. After many years of serving as mayor and secretary of the town party committee, when he was the mayor, well-known large companies such as Shenda and Camellia emerged in that town, with 20 million yuan of funds at their disposal every year. Later, he served as the president of the newspaper, deputy director of the Propaganda Department, and director of the Municipal Party Committee Office. He considers problems carefully and carefully, and arranges things carefully and thoughtfully. For example, the three focuses of this study tour and interview, one is enterprise, the second is tourism, and the third is education, fully take into account the current status of the western region. Another example is that he took care of several ethnic comrades on various occasions, respected them in terms of food and etiquette, and introduced their customs and habits. Another example is the arrangement of the trip for each field trip for inspection and interview, which is carefully considered and repeatedly emphasized. The first is to ensure safety, the second is to ensure that the purpose is achieved, and the third is to ensure comfort, good food and good rest. The meticulous work style and professionalism of him and his companions often make our accompanying comrades deeply moved and admired. I feel that they really embody the spirit of Jiangyin people: people are united, people are strong-willed, dare to climb, and create first-class achievements.

After the interview, we took the bus to Zhangjiagang.

Zhangjiagang is indeed well-deserved. It is different from other cities. First, it has lush trees and green lawns everywhere; second, it is well planned. Cars, bicycles, and sidewalks are neat and clear, spacious and bright, and do not interfere with each other. , not messy; third, the high-rise buildings are well-proportioned and reasonably laid out, not so densely crowded together; fourth, they are clean and hygienic, with no garbage, sewage or messy accumulations anywhere. Wandering in Zhangjiagang Pedestrian Street, I thought as I walked, as the economy improves, people will naturally pursue civilization. If the leadership truly works hard for the city like a public servant, the masses will work together to keep up. This is true in Jiangyin, and it is also true in Zhangjiagang. When did such a style develop in the West?

Originally I wanted to visit a few more places, but a gust of wind blew, and it began to rain patterly everywhere. After a while, the whole city became a rainy world. The rain in the south of the Yangtze River was different from the rain in the north. The rain is really different.

Tonight is our last night in Jiangyin. On this night, there is a bright moon in the sky, and I open the window and look to the west, filled with thoughts. I think that in southern Jiangsu, the concepts of farmers and rural areas have changed. Farmers are no longer farmers, and rural areas are no longer rural areas. Township enterprises here cannot be viewed with the term "township enterprises." When will such a huge change occur in our western region and our Yili Prefecture?

At night, after I finished writing this diary, I suddenly thought of the fir trees and loquat trees in front of the building, and of the chirping birds on the trees. Now they all fell asleep peacefully, quietly. There is no sound anymore. Tomorrow morning when the sun has not yet come out, we will all go our separate ways and go to the fields and woods to get busy.

I was about to put down my pen and wash away the sleep, but suddenly I remembered the words of Bai Juyi's "Recalling Jiangnan": "Jiangnan is good, and the scenery is familiar to me before; the sunrise and the river flowers are as red as the fire, and the spring comes and the river is as green as blue. How can I not remember Jiangnan?" "So, I lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and exhaled. In the smoke, I really hoped that the dream I had hoped for during my trip to Jiangnan would float in the sky in my west as soon as possible...