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Painting an Ecological Masterpiece, Building a Green Future Together
—China’s Path to an Ecological Civilization through the Lens of the “Two Mountains” Theory
Dear students,
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the maxim “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” Two decades of spring blossoms and autumn harvests have unfolded a green transformation that bears upon the perpetual vitality of the Chinese nation. Whether we gallop across the grasslands of Arxan in Inner Mongolia, drift along the shimmering Liangma River in Beijing, or stand amid the desert oases of Zhongwei in Ningxia where sand and verdure coexist, every vivid scene proclaims one truth: the building of an ecological civilization is reshaping China at its core.
From the bamboo groves and tea gardens of Yucun in Anji to the sapphire rivers and snow-capped peaks at the source of the Three Rivers, President Xi Jinping has measured the breadth of the motherland with his own footsteps and mapped its ecological future with strategic vision. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country has sustained an average annual GDP growth of 6.6 % while increasing energy consumption by only 3 % per year. Average PM2.5 concentrations in key cities have fallen by 56 %, the share of surface-water sections with excellent water quality has risen to 90.4 %, and the forest coverage rate has surpassed 25 %. Behind these numbers lies the shared aspiration of 1.4 billion Chinese people for a better life.
We are heartened to see that ecological progress has been woven into the very fabric of national development: the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program has erected a “Green Great Wall”; the ten-year fishing moratorium on the Yangtze River has allowed finless porpoises to leap through its waves once more; the giant panda has been downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable”; and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund now benefits fifteen developing countries. These achievements testify to the transformative power of the “Two Mountains” theory. As a grassroots environmental volunteer put it, “One reservoir of crystal-clear water carries the President’s trust, and 160,000 ‘Little Waterdrop’ volunteers are turning that trust into action.”
Across China today, 54,000 pocket parks adorn our cities, 128,000 kilometres of greenways link urban and rural areas, and twenty-two cities have been designated internationally as Wetland Cities—more than anywhere else in the world. These verdant imprints do more than restore ecosystems; they reconfigure the very logic of development. Once-barren karst landscapes in Bijie, Guizhou, have escaped poverty through under-forest economies; in Anji, Zhejiang, white-tea plantations complement rural tourism, attracting more than ten million visitors a year. Practice has shown that ecological protection and economic growth are not an either-or choice but a question on which mutual prosperity can be written.
Standing at a new historical starting point, let us remember the injunction: “Ecological advancement brings merit in our time and benefit for all time.” Let us begin with the flick of a light switch and the choice of green transport; let us begin by joining environmental volunteer activities—together inscribing a new chapter of harmony between humanity and nature. Every green leaf we guard today stores hope for our children and grandchildren; every drop of clear water we cherish today infuses eternal vitality into a beautiful China.
Thank you.
绘就生态画卷 共筑绿色未来——从"两山"理念看中国生态文明之路
亲爱的同学们：
今年是"绿水青山就是金山银山"理念提出20周年。二十载春华秋实，中国大地上正上演着一场关乎民族永续发展的绿色变革。当我们站在内蒙古阿尔山的草原上纵马驰骋，在北京亮马河畔泛舟赏景，在宁夏中卫的沙漠绿洲中感受沙与绿的共生，这些生动的场景都在诉说着一个真理：生态文明建设，正深刻改变着中国。
从安吉余村的竹林茶园到三江源头的碧水雪山，习近平总书记用脚步丈量祖国山河，以战略眼光擘画生态蓝图。党的十八大以来，我国以年均3%的能源消费增速支撑了年均6.6%的经济增长，重点城市PM2.5平均浓度下降56%，地表水优良水质断面比例提升至90.4%，森林覆盖率突破25%——这些数字背后，是14亿中国人对美好生活的共同追求。
我们欣喜地看到，生态文明建设已融入国家发展的血脉：三北防护林筑起绿色长城，长江十年禁渔让"江豚逐浪"重现，大熊猫从"濒危"降为"易危"，昆明生物多样性基金惠及15个发展中国家……这些成就印证着"两山"理念的实践伟力。正如一位基层环保志愿者所说："一库碧水承载着总书记的嘱托，16万小水滴志愿者正在用行动守护这份嘱托。"
今天的中国，5.4万个口袋公园点缀城市，12.8万公里绿道串联城乡，22个国际湿地城市领跑全球。这些绿色印记，不仅改善着生态环境，更重塑着发展逻辑——在贵州毕节，曾经的石漠化地区通过发展林下经济实现脱贫；在浙江安吉，白茶产业与乡村旅游相得益彰，年接待游客超千万人次。实践证明，生态保护与经济发展从来不是单选题，而是可以形成良性互动的共赢题。
站在新的历史起点，让我们牢记"生态文明建设功在当代、利在千秋"的嘱托，从随手关灯、绿色出行做起，从参与环保志愿活动做起，共同书写人与自然和谐共生的新篇章。因为，我们今天守护的每一片绿叶，都在为子孙后代积攒未来的希望；我们今天珍惜的每一滴清水，都在为美丽中国注入永恒的生机。
谢谢大家！
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