Turning camellia trees into "source of wealth, happiness"

NANCHANG, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Greeting high-speed railway passengers to Ganzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province, are rolling hills covered with arrestingly luxuriant oil-tea camellia trees.

These plants were not as ubiquitous years ago as they are today, although local people have been planting them since 2,000 years ago.

The change in the local landscape took place thanks to a letter addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015 by a centenarian named Wang Chengdeng. In the letter, the veteran Red Army soldier expressed his hope that the government would scale up support for local people in planting the camellia trees and other poverty alleviation industries in southern Jiangxi.

Ming Jinghua, a Ganzhou deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, carried the letter when she went to Beijing to attend the annual session of the NPC that year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, received the letter and read out part of it when he joined a group discussion of the Jiangxi delegation.

Xi told leading officials of related departments who were present at the deliberation to conduct research on the development of oil-tea camellia industry.

The well-being of people living in old revolutionary bases like Ganzhou has been on the mind of Xi. "Old revolutionary bases are the roots of the Party and the people's army, and we should never forget where we came from," Xi said. He has, on multiple occasions, called for efforts to expand support to accelerate the development in old revolutionary bases and make sure all the people in these areas live a happy life.

A few days after the deliberation, the related departments called and told Ming that a team would be sent to Ganzhou to make research and offer advice and suggestions on the development of oil-tea camellia industry.

With policy support and the help of agricultural experts, the oil-tea camellia industry has ushered in rapid development in southern Jiangxi. More than 200,000 people have escaped poverty by participating in the development of the industry, with per capita annual income increasing by over 800 yuan (about 115.08 U.S. dollars). Oil-tea camellia has also been used to produce skincare and health products, extending the industrial chain and increasing the industry's annual output to more than 10 billion yuan.

"The oil-tea camellia industry has brought tangible benefits to local people," said Ming.

In May 2019, Xi came to Jiangxi on an inspection tour. His first stop was Ganzhou. Xi stressed efforts to ensure that people in old revolutionary bases live a happy life and to revitalize the countryside.

"These remarks warm the hearts of people in old revolutionary bases," Ming said.

Ming has many stories to tell about the camellia trees. Ming said during the years of revolutionary war, local people traded then precious oil made from the plants for medicines and other supplies to support the Red Army led by the CPC; in the fight against poverty, camellia trees help local people get rid of poverty.

"On the new journey, the camellia trees will be the 'trees of happiness ' for local people," Ming said.