The Worldview and Methodology Embodied in the “Thousand-Village Project”

The “Thousand-Village Project” was a major decision made in 2003 by Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, based on the national conditions, provincial conditions, agricultural conditions, and people’s conditions, personally investigated, personally conceived, personally deployed, and personally promoted. It is “the most popular and most beneficial practical matter done for farmers by the Party and government since the implementation of the household contract responsibility system,” and a provincial-level model for Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization. On the new journey, thoroughly studying and deeply understanding the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on the “Thousand-Village Project,” profoundly grasping the worldview and methodology embodied in the “Thousand-Village Project,” and promoting and disseminating the experience of the “Thousand-Village Project” are of great benefit for accelerating the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages and for consolidating Chinese-path modernization through agricultural and rural modernization.

“千万工程”是2003年时任浙江省委书记的习近平同志立足国情、省情、农情、民情，亲自调研、亲自谋划、亲自部署、亲自推动的一项重大决策，是“继实行家庭联产承包责任制后，党和政府为农民办的最受欢迎、最为受益的一件实事”，是中国式农业农村现代化的省域实践典范。新征程上，学深悟透习近平总书记“千万工程”重要批示精神，深刻把握“千万工程”蕴含的世界观和方法论，宣传推广“千万工程”经验，对于加快推进宜业宜居和美乡村建设，以农业农村现代化夯实中国式现代化大有裨益。

I. Adhering to the people-centered development thought, taking enhancing the people’s well-being, promoting the all-round development of people, and achieving common prosperity as the starting point and goal of economic and social development

一、坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，把增进人民福祉、促进人的全面发展、实现共同富裕作为经济社会发展的出发点和落脚点

Adhering to the people-centered development thought is the core concept of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the enrichment and development of the Marxist view of the people by the Communist Party of China. Always being with the people and fighting for the interests of the people is the fundamental distinction between a Marxist political party and other political parties. Marx and Engels pointed out: “All previous movements were movements of minorities, or in the interests of minorities. The proletarian movement is the independent movement of the immense majority, in the interests of the immense majority.” [1]1 This is a quotation from *The Communist Manifesto* (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. On November 6, 1941, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “The Communist Party is a political party that works for the nation and the people; it itself has absolutely no private interests to pursue. It should be subject to the supervision of the people and should never go against the people’s will. Its members should stand among the people and never stand above them.” [2]2 This is a quotation from a speech by Mao Zedong at the opening ceremony of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Senate, November 6, 1941. On July 1, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech on the Tiananmen Rostrum, pointing out, “The country is the people, and the people are the country. To fight for and defend the country is to defend the hearts of the people.”

坚持以人民为中心的发展思想是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的核心理念，是中国共产党对马克思主义人民观的丰富与发展。始终同人民在一起、为人民利益而奋斗是马克思主义政党同其他政党的根本区别。马克思恩格斯指出：“过去的一切运动都是少数人的或者为少数人谋利益的运动。无产阶级的运动是绝大多数人的、为绝大多数人谋利益的独立的运动。”[1]1941年11月6日，毛泽东同志指出：“共产党是为民族、为人民谋利益的政党，它本身决无私利可图。它应该受人民的监督，而决不应该违背人民的意旨。它的党员应该站在民众之中，而决不应该站在民众之上。”[2]2021年7月1日，习近平总书记在天安门城楼上发表重要讲话时指出，“江山就是人民，人民就是江山，打江山、守江山，守的是人民的心。”

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to taking enhancing the people’s well-being, promoting the all-round development of people, and achieving common prosperity as the starting point and goal of economic development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the “Thousand-Village Project” is a leading project for promoting new countryside construction, an effective lever for coordinating urban and rural development to address agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, and a people’s well-being project benefiting millions of farmers. Zhejiang’s “Thousand-Village Project” links rural revitalization with common prosperity, runs the mass line through all aspects and the entire process of work, adheres to “village affairs discussed and decided by everyone in the village,” stimulates the sense of ownership among farmers, extensively mobilizes farmers to participate in village-level public affairs, promotes a positive interaction between government governance, social participation, and villager self-governance, and mobilizes the initiative of all parties, forming a working mechanism of “government-led, farmer-centered, departmental coordination, social funding, enterprise participation, and market operation.” Today in Zhejiang, fields have become parks, villages have become scenic spots; over 90% of villages in the province have reached the standards for beautiful villages in the New Era, with 70 demonstration counties, 724 demonstration townships, 743 scenic routes, 2,170 characteristic boutique villages, and over 3 million beautiful courtyards created. The province’s rural tourism and leisure agriculture received 390 million visitors, with total operating revenue of 46.9 billion yuan and 334,000 employees.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持把增进人民福祉、促进人的全面发展、实现共同富裕作为经济发展的出发点和落脚点。习近平总书记指出，“千万工程”是推进新农村建设的龙头工程、统筹城乡兴“三农”的有效抓手、造福千万农民的民心工程。浙江“千万工程”把乡村振兴与共同富裕衔接起来，把党的群众路线贯穿工作的各方面全过程，坚持“村里的事情大家商量着办”，激发农民群众的主人翁意识，广泛动员农民群众参与村级公共事务，推动实现政府治理、社会参与与村民自治的良性互动，调动各方面积极性，形成“政府主导、农民主体、部门配合、社会资助、企业参与、市场运作”的工作机制。如今的浙江，田园变公园、村庄变景区，全省90%以上的村庄达到新时代美丽乡村标准，创建美丽乡村示范县70个、示范乡镇724个、风景线743条、特色精品村2170个、美丽庭院300多万户。全省乡村旅游和休闲农业接待游客3.9亿人次、营业总收入469亿元，从业人员33.4万人。

II. Adhering to prioritizing the development of agriculture and rural areas, promoting agricultural and rural modernization with a new type of worker-farmer and urban-rural relationship

二、坚持农业农村优先发展，以新型工农城乡关系推进农业农村现代化

The “Proposals of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives for 2035” proposed prioritizing the development of agriculture and rural areas and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. Adhering to making solving the issues concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers the top priority of the entire Party’s work, taking the path of socialist rural revitalization with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively implementing the rural revitalization strategy, strengthening the role of industry in supporting agriculture and cities in driving rural areas, promoting the formation of a new type of worker-farmer and urban-rural relationship characterized by mutual promotion of industry and agriculture, urban-rural complementarity, coordinated development, and common prosperity, and accelerating agricultural and rural modernization. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC proposed coordinating the layout of rural infrastructure and public services to build livable, workable, and beautiful villages.

《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划和二〇三五年远景目标的建议》提出，优先发展农业农村，全面推进乡村振兴。坚持把解决好“三农”问题作为全党工作重中之重，走中国特色社会主义乡村振兴道路，全面实施乡村振兴战略，强化以工补农、以城带乡，推动形成工农互促、城乡互补、协调发展、共同繁荣的新型工农城乡关系，加快农业农村现代化。党的二十大报告提出，统筹乡村基础设施和公共服务布局，建设宜居宜业和美乡村。

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that the most arduous and heavy tasks in building a modern socialist country in all respects still lie in the countryside. “We must also be soberly aware that behind the rapid urban construction and the rapid growth of urban and rural residents’ incomes, there are hidden large urban-rural gaps. Rural education, culture, health, sports, and other social undertakings, as well as infrastructure construction, lag far behind those in cities. The gap in farmers’ income levels, living standards, and quality of life compared to urban residents is still widening. How to reverse the trend of the widening urban-rural gap, break down the systems and structures that separate urban and rural areas, treat urban and rural development as a whole, scientifically plan and coordinately promote it, and form a development pattern of cities driving rural areas, rural areas promoting cities, and urban-rural interaction—this is an inevitable requirement of the Scientific Outlook on Development and a concrete action for us to implement and adhere to a people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development outlook and promote the all-round development of the economy, society, and people.” [3]3 This is a quotation from a speech by Xi Jinping, likely from his time in Zhejiang, discussing the need to address urban-rural disparities. On August 15, 2005, Comrade Xi Jinping visited Yucun Village in Anji County and first proposed the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” In the twenty years since the implementation of the “Thousand-Village Project,” Zhejiang Province has implemented the “four priorities” policies in detail: prioritizing the allocation of cadres for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; prioritizing the allocation of development factors for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; prioritizing the guarantee of funding for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; and prioritizing the arrangement of rural public services, focusing on solving the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development. In today’s Zhejiang, farmhouses have become guesthouses, villagers have become shareholders, and resources have become assets. New business forms such as rural tourism, health and elderly care, and rural e-commerce are flourishing. The “Thousand-Village Project” has brought beautiful ecology, a beautiful economy, and a beautiful life to farmers. The per capita disposable income of rural residents increased from 5,431 yuan in 2003 to 37,565 yuan in 2022, and the overall appearance of the countryside has undergone profound changes. Zhejiang fully, accurately, and comprehensively implements the new development philosophy, and for twenty years has consistently applied the “Two Mountains” concept throughout all aspects and the entire process of the “Thousand-Village Project,” achieving mutual promotion and common progress among the “beautiful economy,” villager self-governance, and the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages.

党的二十大报告指出，全面建设社会主义现代化国家，最艰巨最繁重的任务仍然在农村。“我们也要清醒地看到，在城市建设突飞猛进、城乡居民收入快速增长的背后，隐藏着较大的城乡差距，农村教育、文化、卫生、体育等社会事业以及基础设施建设远远落后于城市，农民的收入水平、生活水平和质量与城市居民的差距还在扩大。如何扭转城乡差距扩大的趋势，打破城乡分割的体制和结构，把城乡发展作为一个整体，科学筹划、协调推进，形成以城带乡、以乡促城、城乡互动的发展格局，这是科学发展观的必然要求，也是我们贯彻落实坚持以人为本，树立全面、协调、可持续的发展观，促进经济社会和人的全面发展的具体行动。”[3]2005年8月15日，习近平同志来到安吉余村考察，并首次提出“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念。“千万工程”实施二十年来，浙江省落实落细“四个优先”政策：优先考虑“三农”干部配备、优先满足“三农”发展要素配置、优先保障“三农”资金投入、优先安排农村公共服务等具体措施，着力解决发展不平衡不充分的问题。今天的浙江，农房变客房、村民变股东、资源变资产，乡村旅游、养生养老、农村电商等新业态蓬勃发展，“千万工程”给农民带来美丽生态、美丽经济和美好生活。农村居民人均可支配收入从2003年的5431元提升到2022年的37565元，农村整体面貌发生深刻变化。浙江完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，二十年持之以恒把“两山”理念贯穿于“千万工程”全过程各方面，实现了“美丽经济”、村民自治、宜业宜居和美乡村建设的互促共进。

III. Adhering to the systems concept, promoting agricultural and rural modernization by coordinating urban-rural integrated development

三、坚持系统观念，以统筹城乡融合发展推进农业农村现代化

The systems concept is an important category of Marxist epistemology and methodology. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC profoundly expounded the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, namely the “Six Musts,” the fifth of which is “must adhere to the systems concept.” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The systems concept is a foundational way of thinking and working.” Adhering to the systems concept was proposed by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core when strategically planning various undertakings of the Party and the state in the New Era, and it is a foundational way of thinking and working for promoting work in all fields and socialist modernization. To achieve agricultural and rural modernization, it is necessary to plan agricultural development within the overall national economic development, plan rural prosperity within the overall social progress, and plan the increase of farmers’ income within the overall pattern of national income distribution.

系统观念是马克思主义认识论和方法论的重要范畴。党的二十大报告深刻阐述了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，即“六个坚持”，其中第五个是“必须坚持系统观念”。习近平总书记指出：“系统观念是具有基础性的思想和工作方法。”坚持系统观念是以习近平同志为核心的党中央在对新时代党和国家各项事业进行战略谋划时提出的，是推动各领域工作和社会主义现代化建设的基础性思想和工作方法。要实现农业农村现代化就必须把农业发展放在整个国民经济发展中统筹谋划，把农村繁荣放到整个社会进步中统筹规划，把农民增收放到国民收入分配总体格局中统筹安排。

He who does not plan for the long term cannot plan for the moment; he who does not plan for the whole cannot plan for a part. [4]4 This is a classical Chinese proverb, emphasizing the importance of long-term and holistic planning. Over the past twenty years, Zhejiang’s “Thousand-Village Project” has adhered to the “Five-Sphere Integrated Plan” of planning, construction, management, operation, and service, emphasizing the integrity, hierarchy, and dynamism of rural development. It has advanced “five types of villages simultaneously”: beautiful villages, common prosperity villages, cultural villages, well-governed villages, and digital villages. It has carried out “five beauties jointly created”: demonstration counties, demonstration townships, scenic routes, boutique villages, and beautiful courtyards. It has promoted the comprehensive revitalization of rural industries, talents, culture, ecology, and organizations, gradually forming a new type of worker-farmer and urban-rural relationship characterized by mutual promotion of industry and agriculture, urban-rural complementarity, coordinated development, and common prosperity. The “Thousand-Village Project” is a pioneering demonstration of Zhejiang Province transforming the Party’s innovative theory into vivid practice in the work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers.

不谋万世者，不足谋一时；不谋全局者，不足谋一域。二十年来，浙江“千万工程”坚持规划、建设、管理、经营、服务“五位一体”，注重乡村发展的整体性、层次性、动态性，美丽乡村、共富乡村、人文乡村、善治乡村、数字乡村“五村并进”，示范县、示范乡镇、风景线、精品村、美丽庭院“五美联创”，推动乡村产业、人才、文化、生态、组织全面振兴，逐步形成工农互促、城乡互补、协调发展、共同繁荣的新型工农城乡关系。“千万工程”是浙江省把党的创新理论转化为“三农”工作生动实践的先行示范。

IV. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach, conducting in-depth investigation and research, demonstrating the powerful force of scientific decision-making and precise policy implementation

四、坚持问题导向，深入调查研究，展现科学决策、精准施策的强大力量

Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is a distinctive feature of Marxism. “Problems are the slogans of the times.”[4]4 This is a classical Chinese proverb, emphasizing the importance of long-term and holistic planning. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out in “On the Ten Major Relationships”: “What is a problem? A problem is the contradiction of things. Where there is an unresolved contradiction, there is a problem

坚持问题导向是马克思主义的鲜明特点。“问题就是时代的口号。”[4]毛泽东同志在《论十大关系》中指出：“什么叫问题？问题就是事物的矛盾。哪里有没有解决的矛盾，哪里就有问题。”习近平总书记指出：“坚持问题导向，增强问题意识，敢于正视问题，善于发现问题，既看‘高楼大厦’又看‘背阴胡同’，真正把情况摸清、把问题找准、把对策提实。”据《浙江通志·农业志》“千万工程”专记记载：“一些地区的村庄布局缺乏规划指导和约束，农民建房缺乏科学设计，有新房无新村；人居环境‘脏、乱、散、差’等现象普遍存在；精神文明建设滞后，陈规陋习、不良风气十分常见；管理服务功能薄弱，道路、水电等基础设施较为落后，文化、体育、医疗等社会事业滞后，与农民群众对美好生活的需求形成了强烈反差。”问题是时代的声音。精准理念是马克思主义世界观和方法论在新时代绽放出的新智慧，是中国共产党人在统筹“四个伟大”中淬炼出的思想品格和理论品格。“千万工程”正是基于大量调研、精准掌握第一手材料作出的科学决策，得到了人民群众的热烈拥护和大力支持。

Investigation and research are the foundation and prerequisite for discovering and solving problems; they are the Marxist methodology. Emphasizing investigation and research is a fine tradition of Chinese Communists. In May 1930, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the famous thesis in *Oppose Book Worship* that “no investigation, no right to speak” and “investigation is to solve problems.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to investigation and research work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Investigation and research are the foundation of planning and the way to success. Without investigation, there is no right to speak, still less the right to make decisions.” To resolve contradictions and problems, one must go deep into the grassroots, go deep among the masses, learn from the masses, and conduct in-depth investigation and research. The decision-making and deployment of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee to implement the “Eight-Eight Strategy” [5]5 The “Eight-Eight Strategy” (八八战略) refers to the eight major advantages and eight major measures proposed by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee in 2003 to guide the province’s development. and build a “Safe Zhejiang” were all formed on the basis of in-depth investigation and research. In 2003, Xi Jinping, who had just arrived in Zhejiang for work, spent 118 days traveling to all 11 prefectures and cities. After in-depth investigation and research and a full understanding of the situation, with foresight and deep consideration, an idea for a large-scale action of village renovation and construction centered on improving the rural ecological environment and raising the quality of life of farmers gradually matured. In July 2003, Xi Jinping proposed the “Eight-Eight Strategy,” the general program and general policy for Zhejiang’s provincial governance, and the “Ten-Thousand-Village Project” was precisely the important lever.

调查研究是发现问题、解决问题的基础和前提，是马克思主义方法论。重视调查研究是中国共产党人的优良传统。1930年5月，毛泽东同志在《反对本本主义》中提出了“没有调查没有发言权”，“调查就是解决问题”的著名论断。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央高度重视调查研究工作。习近平总书记指出：“调查研究是谋事之基、成事之道，没有调查，就没有发言权，更没有决策权。”要解决矛盾和问题，就要深入基层，深入群众，拜群众为师，深入调查研究。浙江省委作出的实施“八八战略”和建设“平安浙江”的决策部署，都是在深入调查研究的基础上形成的。[5]2003年，刚到浙江工作不久的习近平，历时118天，跑遍11个地市，在深入调查研究、充分了解情况后，高瞻远瞩、深谋远虑，一个以改善农村生态环境、提高农民生活质量为核心的村庄整治建设大行动的想法逐渐成熟。2003年7月，习近平提出浙江省域治理总纲领和总方略的“八八战略”，“千万工程”正是重要抓手。

Over the past twenty years, Zhejiang has consistently maintained the strategic resolve and historical patience to persevere over the long term, drawing up a blueprint to the end and carrying it out term after term, providing experience for reference and injecting lasting impetus into comprehensively promoting urban-rural integrated development and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. On the new journey, to comprehensively and deeply study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and deeply grasp the worldview and methodology contained in the “Ten-Thousand-Village Project,” first, we must comprehensively promote and implement the experience of the “Ten-Thousand-Village Project” throughout the entire process of building livable, workable, and beautiful villages, building a Beautiful China, and advancing Chinese-path modernization; second, we must organize high-quality theoretical research, publicity, and interpretation work on the experience of the “Ten-Thousand-Village Project” to improve the ability and level of “learning, thinking, understanding, and practicing” among the vast number of Party members and leading cadres in the New Era; third, we must organically integrate the study and promotion of the experience of the “Ten-Thousand-Village Project” with the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era thematic education, transforming the learning outcomes into concrete ideas and development results for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

二十年来，浙江始终保持久久为功的战略定力和历史耐心，一张蓝图绘到底、一任接着一任干，为全面推进城乡融合发展、全面推进乡村振兴提供了经验借鉴、注入持久动力。新征程上，全面深入学习贯彻党的二十大精神，深刻把握“千万工程”蕴含的世界观和方法论，一要把全面推广“千万工程”经验贯彻落实到宜居宜业和美乡村建设、美丽中国建设、中国式现代化建设全过程；二要高质量组织开展“千万工程”经验的理论研究和宣传阐释工作，提高新时代广大党员和领导干部“学思悟践”能力和水平；三是把学习推广“千万工程”经验与学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想主题教育有机结合，把学习成果转化为推进中国式现代化建设的具体思路和发展成效。

References:

参考文献：

[1]1 This is a quotation from *The Communist Manifesto* (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. *Selections of Classic Works of Marxism-Leninism (Reader for Party Members and Cadres)*, Party Building Books Publishing House, 2011 edition, p. 31.

[1]《马列主义经典著作选编（党员干部读本）》，党建读物出版社2011年版，第31页。

[2]2 This is a quotation from a speech by Mao Zedong at the opening ceremony of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Senate, November 6, 1941. Mao Zedong: *Speech at the Assembly of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region*, People’s Publishing House, 1976 edition.

[2]毛泽东：《在陕甘宁边区参议会的演说》，人民出版社1976年版。

[3]3 This is a quotation from a speech by Xi Jinping, likely from his time in Zhejiang, discussing the need to address urban-rural disparities. *Zhejiang, China: A New Vision for Development*, Zhejiang People’s Publishing House, 2007 edition, p. 45.

[3]《之江新语》，浙江人民出版社2007年版，第45页。

[4]4 This is a classical Chinese proverb, emphasizing the importance of long-term and holistic planning. *Complete Works of Marx and Engels* (Volume 40), People’s Publishing House, 1982 edition, p. 289.

[4]《马克思恩格斯全集》（第40卷），人民出版社1982年版，第289页。

[5]5 The “Eight-Eight Strategy” (八八战略) refers to the eight major advantages and eight major measures proposed by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee in 2003 to guide the province’s development. *Zhejiang, China: A New Vision for Development*, Zhejiang People’s Publishing House, 2007 edition, p. 61.

[5]《之江新语》，浙江人民出版社2007年版，第61页。

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