The “Thousand-Village Demonstration, Ten-Thousand-Village Renovation” Project Explores China’s Path to Rural Revitalization

In June 2003, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial

2003年6月，时任浙江省委书记的习近平同志亲自谋划部署了“千村示范、万村整治”（简称“千万工程”）的战略决策，至今已20年。20年来浙江以改造农村人居环境为切入点，开辟出一条乡村振兴建设的科学路径，为当下以全面推进乡村振兴为着力点撬动全局高质量发展提供重要经验支撑，值得我们深入学习借鉴。

I. Staying True to the Original Aspiration: People-Centeredness as the Fundamental Principle of Rural Revitalization

一、坚守初心：以人为本是乡村振兴的根本遵循

The proposal of rural revitalization is based on the reality of a huge gap created by rapid urban development and lagging rural progress. To revitalize the countryside and narrow the urban-rural gap, one must proceed from the perspective of rural residents. Over the 20 years of the “Ten-Thousand Project,” every practice has embodied the fundamental principle of people-centeredness. First, it has always thought through problems from the perspective of rural residents. After conducting research in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping once remarked: “If a person’s home is very tidy and the environment is good, their confidence in doing things and being a person will also improve. People change the environment, and the environment in turn influences people.” The “Ten-Thousand Project” started from the most urgent needs of rural residents, centered on the “one main line” of urban-rural integration, created “eight demonstration projects” and “eight types of remediation,”[1]1 “Eight demonstration projects” and “eight types of remediation” refer to specific targets set under the “Ten-Thousand Project” for model village construction and environmental improvement in areas such as garbage, sewage, and toilets. comprehensively advanced the “three revolutions” in garbage, sewage, and toilets, transformed the appearance of Zhejiang’s villages in terms of rural roads, waterways, and housing, built a livable rural ecological environment, and put into practice the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” Second, it takes enhancing the well-being of the people as its ultimate goal. The “Ten-Thousand Project” takes improving the quality of rural life as its basic objective. This is a complex and important task, of great significance for promoting rural development and realizing a happy life for farmers. By focusing on rural infrastructure construction, the development of education and healthcare, cultural construction, and social services, the “Ten-Thousand Project” has built “public service circles” and “healthcare service circles,” effectively benefiting rural residents, improving their living conditions, enhancing their sense of gain, happiness, and identity, and promoting the comprehensive development of the countryside.

乡村振兴的提出是基于城市迅速发展与乡村步伐滞后产生了巨大差异的现实，要想振兴乡村缩小城乡差距，就要从乡村居民的角度出发。“千万工程”延续的20年中，各种做法无不体现着以人为本的根本遵循。第一，始终从农村居民的角度思考问题。习近平同志在浙江调研后曾感叹：“一个人如果家里很整洁、环境很好，做人做事的信心也会提高，人改变环境，环境反过来也能影响人。”“千万工程”从农村居民最迫切的需求出发，围绕着城乡一体化“一条主线”，打造“八个示范”“八化整治”，全域推进垃圾、污水、厕所“三大革命”，在乡村道路、河道、住宅等方面改造了浙江乡村的面貌，打造出宜居的乡村生态环境，践行了“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念。第二，以增进人民福祉为落脚点。“千万工程”以提高农村生活质量为基本目标，这是一项复杂而重要的任务，对于促进农村发展、实现农民幸福生活具有重要意义。“千万工程”通过关注农村基础设施建设、教育和医疗卫生事业发展、文化建设和社会服务情况，搭建了“公共服务圈”“医疗卫生服务圈”等，切实地造福农村居民，有效改善了农村居民的生活条件，提升居民获得感、幸福感、认同感，推动农村的全面发展。

II. Precise Identification: Scientifically Positioning Rural Development Paths According to Local Conditions

二、精准识别：因地制宜科学定位农村发展路径

Precisely positioning the development path is a prerequisite for scientific planning. The first step in revitalizing the countryside is to find a suitable development path. The logic of development in cities and villages is vastly different, and the modes of production and living, as well as resource endowments, also present a situation where “each village is different.” To achieve scientific planning first, it is necessary to comprehensively understand and grasp the current state of rural development. Without investigation, there is no right to speak. After 118 days of extensive and in-depth investigation, Comrade Xi Jinping accumulated field survey data from 11 prefecture-level cities and 25 counties. Based on the specific conditions of local geographical features, industrial structures, and fiscal revenues and expenditures, he formulated implementation standards with certain differences for villages. For example, Jingshan Village in Yuhang District, Hangzhou, features tea, while Tangdi Village in Keqiao District, Shaoxing, features orchids. The essence is to adhere to adapting measures to local conditions and providing classified guidance. This can not only fully utilize resources to form the characteristics of each village, thereby gaining a comparative advantage in development, but also take into account local development levels on an overall basis, achieving the optimal solution for overall regional development to narrow the overall urban-rural development gap. Through scientific positioning, excessive resource exploitation and environmental damage can be avoided, achieving a win-win situation for both economic and ecological benefits. Adapting measures to local conditions and scientifically positioning rural development paths can fully consider factors such as local conditions, the principle of sustainable development, industrial advantages and characteristics, and farmers’ needs and interests. Through comprehensive analysis and broad participation, development strategies that fit local realities can be formulated, achieving remarkable results in promoting rural development.

精准定位发展路径是科学规划的前提，振兴乡村的第一步是找到适合的发展路径。城市与乡村的发展逻辑大不相同，生产生活方式、资源禀赋也呈现“村村不同”的情景。要想实现科学规划先行，就要全面了解掌握农村发展现状，没有调查就没有发言权，习近平总书记在广泛深入调查118天后，积攒了11个地级市、25个县的实地调查资料，立足地方地理风貌、产业结构、财政收支等具体情况，为乡村制定了具有一定差异的施行标准，如杭州市余杭区径山村以茶为特色，绍兴市柯桥区棠棣村则以兰花为特色，其内涵就是坚持因地制宜、分类指导，既能充分利用资源形成各村特点从而斩获发展相对优势，又能在全局兼顾地方发展水平，实现区域全局发展最优解以缩小整体城乡发展水平差异。通过科学定位，可以避免资源过度开发和环境破坏，实现经济效益与生态效益的双赢。因地制宜、科学定位农村发展路径能够充分考虑地方条件、可持续发展原则、产业优势和特色、农民需求和利益等因素，通过综合分析和广泛参与，制定符合地方实际的发展策略，在推动农村发展上取得斐然成果。

III. Sustained Effort: Consolidating Implementation to Empower Endogenous Rural Development Momentum

三、久久为功：夯实执行以赋能农村内生发展动力

The most difficult dilemma to overcome in rural development is the lack of endogenous development momentum. This problem has long been the crux restricting high-quality and sustainable rural development. When the “Ten-Thousand Project” was launched, Comrade Xi Jinping proposed that farmers should play the main role. Farmers are the core of rural revitalization and the main force driving endogenous rural development. However, cultivating endogenous development momentum is not something that yields immediate results; it also requires the long-term joint efforts of a multi-dimensional action network, including coordination mechanisms. First, the “Ten-Thousand Project” established an orderly coordination mechanism, taking “shared construction and shared benefits” as its guiding philosophy. In specific matters, it adhered to the principle of “village affairs discussed by everyone in the village,” making decisions after full discussion among village cadres and villager representatives. Second, the “Ten-Thousand Project” clarified the role boundaries between the government and farmers, adhering to a promotion mechanism of government guidance to input momentum, rural farmers shaping the main momentum, and active support from social forces. It consolidated implementation, encouraged the investment of financial resources, and formed a situation of Party and government leadership, coordination among all parties, and graded responsibility, enhancing both endogenous and exogenous momentum. Over 20 years, the “Ten-Thousand Project” has handled one thing after another in its implementation, worked year after year, issued an action plan every five years, continuously advanced, and achieved sustained results through persistent effort.

乡村发展最难攻破的困境是内生发展动力不足，这一问题成为长期制约乡村高质量、可持续发展的症结所在。“千万工程”启动时，习近平同志就提出要让农民发挥主体作用。农民是乡村振兴的核心，是推动乡村内生发展的主要力量。然而，培育内生发展动力并不是一个立竿见影的事，同时还需要协调机制等多维行动网长期共同发力。首先，“千万工程”搭建了有序的协调机制，将“共享共建”作为指导理念，在具体事务上，坚持“村里的事情大家商量着办”，在村干部、村民代表充分讨论的情况下作决策。其次，“千万工程” 厘清政府和农民的角色边界，坚持政府引导输入动力、农村农民塑造主要动力、社会力量积极支持的推进机制，夯实执行，鼓励财力资源投入，形成党政主导、各方协同、分级负责的局面，增强内生和外生动力。20年来，“千万工程”在执行中一件事情接着一件事情办，一年接着一年干，每五年出台一个行动计划，不断推进，久久为功。

IV. Insight into the Overall Situation: Theoretical Foundation Demonstrates Scientific Deployment

四、洞察全局：理论基础彰显科学部署

The sustained development of Zhejiang Province’s “Ten-Thousand Project” over 20 years provides rich reference significance for the overall strategic deployment of China’s rural revitalization. Adhering to the fundamental principle of people-centeredness and upholding the logic of “suitable to do, able to do, and done well,” this thread showcases the essence of Chinese-path modernization governance. First, it profoundly embodies a systemic perspective. In China’s modernization governance, and in the study of rural governance and urban-rural development, the village as a governance unit is regarded as a complex, dynamically changing system. Within this system, elements such as natural resources, government support, and residents’ literacy interact to form an organic unity. The “Ten-Thousand Project” achieved overall coordination in top-level design and multi-dimensional balance of policy objectives, starting from grasping the system’s elements and progressing layer by layer to achieve dynamic balance of the system. Second, it comprehensively applies holistic governance methods. Holistic governance emphasizes looking at problems from an overall perspective, focusing on both current development and long-term sustainability, and adopting comprehensive and thorough measures and methods to solve complex problems or achieve systemic improvements. The “Ten-Thousand Project” possesses scientific decision-making, strategic foresight, and persistence in implementation, achieving the maximization of overall effects in planning both between rural regions and between urban and rural areas within Zhejiang Province. It enlightens us that in promoting the process of rural revitalization, we must think through problems with a systemic perspective, organically combining various elements; at the same time, we must comprehensively apply holistic governance methods, focus on long-term development, and adopt comprehensive measures. Only in this way can we achieve the long-term goals of rural revitalization and advance China’s modernization governance process.

浙江省“千万工程”20年来持续发展，对中国乡村振兴的全局战略部署具有丰厚的借鉴意义，在坚持以人为本的根本原则下，秉持“适合做、能做、做成”的逻辑，这一脉络展示着中国式现代化治理的精髓。第一，深刻蕴含着系统观念。中国现代化治理中，乡村治理、城乡发展研究中，农村这一治理单位被视为复杂、动态变化的系统，在这一系统中，自然资源、政府支持、居民素养等要素相互作用，形成有机统一体。“千万工程”做到了顶层设计上的统筹协调、政策目标的多维平衡，从把握系统要素出发，层层递进，以实现系统动态平衡。第二，全面应用整体性治理手段。整体性治理强调从全局看问题，既要着眼于当下的发展，又要着眼于长远的可持续性，采取综合、全面的措施和方法来解决复杂的问题或实现系统的改进。“千万工程”具有决策的科学性、战略的前瞻性、执行的持久性，在规划农村区域间和浙江省城乡间实现了整体效果最大化。它启示我们在推动乡村振兴过程中，要以系统观念思考问题，将各要素有机地结合起来；同时，要全面运用整体性治理手段，注重长远发展并采取综合措施。这样才能实现乡村振兴的长远目标，推进中国的现代化治理进程。

Survey data shows that over 20 years, the “Ten-Thousand Project” has cumulatively driven the employment and entrepreneurship of 4.78 million farmers. In 2022, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Zhejiang Province was 37,565 yuan. This not only directly raised the income level of the countryside but also narrowed the urban-rural income gap from 2.43 times when the “Ten-Thousand Project” was launched to 1.90 times. In terms of improving the living environment, the sewage treatment coverage rate in key planned villages reached 100%, and sanitary toilets achieved full coverage under the rural “toilet revolution,” blazing a path of sustainable development focused on ecology. Moreover, internationally, the “Ten-Thousand Project” showcased the Chinese path to rural revitalization to the world. In September 2018, it won the United Nations “Champions of the Earth” award. This series of achievements has become a benchmark for rural revitalization. What is even more noteworthy is that digital technology in rural society, as a form of resource development, is quietly changing the production structure and endogenous value in rural revitalization. As uncertain governance scenarios increase, we should delve deeper into exploring what constitutes the Chinese solution for rural revitalization.

调查数据显示，20年来“千万工程”累计带动478万农民就业创业，2022年浙江省乡村居民人均可支配收入37565元，这不仅直接提高了乡村的收入水平，也让城乡收入差异由“千万工程”启动之时的2.43倍缩小到1.90倍。在人居环境改善方面，重点规划村的污水治理覆盖率达100%，农村“厕所革命”下卫生厕所全覆盖，走出一条注重生态的可持续发展之路。不仅如此，在国际上“千万工程”向全球展示了乡村振兴的中国式道路，2018年9月荣获联合国“地球卫士奖”，这一系列硕果成为乡村振兴的标杆。更值得关注的是，乡村社会中的数字化技术作为一种资源开发形式，其嵌入正在悄然改变着乡村振兴中的生产结构、内生价值等。随着不确定的治理情景增多，我们更应该深入探索何为乡村振兴的中国方案。

[About the authors: Tang Zhiwei, Director of the Digital Rural Revitalization Research Center (Dean of the Smart Governance Research Institute), Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Chen Yao, Master’s student at the School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.]

【作者简介：汤志伟，电子科技大学数字乡村振兴研究中心主任（智慧治理研究院院长），教授，博士生导师；陈瑶，电子科技大学公共管理学院硕士研究生。】

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧