Lishui Model of Rural Reconstruction in China

Description

Via DeepSeek, November 2025:

The Theoretical Foundation: Wen Tiejun and the "Three Rural Issues

"To understand Lishui, you must first understand the theoretical framework provided by Professor Wen Tiejun (温铁军).

The "Three Rural Issues" (三农问题): Wen is the foremost intellectual associated with diagnosing China's "Three Rural Issues": the interconnected crises of Agriculture (农业), Rural Areas (农村), and Peasants (农民). He argues that these problems stem from China's rapid, state-led industrialization since the 1980s, which systematically extracted surplus value (labor, capital, resources) from the countryside to fuel urban factory development.

De-linking and Ecological Civilization: A key tenet of Wen's solution is the concept of "de-linking" (去依附). This means rural communities should, where possible, reduce their dependency on the volatile global capitalist market and external corporate inputs. Instead, they should focus on revitalizing local economies, ecosystems, and cultures. This aligns with the broader national policy shift towards "Ecological Civilization" (生态文明).

The Role of the "New Rural Reconstruction Movement": Wen co-founded this movement in the early 2000s. It's a grassroots-driven (though often intellectually guided) effort to experiment with practical alternatives to the mainstream, extractive development model.

It focuses on:

• Cooperatives: Forming farmer cooperatives to regain pricing power and share resources.

• Ecological Agriculture: Promoting pesticide-free, organic, and diversified farming.

• Local Cultural Revival: Valuing indigenous knowledge and rural culture.

• Participatory Governance: Encouraging villagers to have a direct say in their development.

Lishui as the Living Laboratory

Lishui City (丽水市) in Zhejiang province became a premier testing ground for these ideas. It was not chosen by accident. Its geographical and economic profile made it a perfect candidate:

"A Rich Province's Poor Area": While Zhejiang is one of China's wealthiest provinces, Lishui is a mountainous, remote region historically lagging in industrial development. This "backwardness" became an asset for the Rural Reconstruction movement, as it was less contaminated by heavy industry and retained a strong ecological base.

The "Lishui Model": Under the intellectual guidance of Wen Tiejun and his team, Lishui began to pioneer a development model that flipped the traditional script. Instead of trying to attract polluting factories, Lishui leveraged its ecological wealth as its primary capital.

Key Initiatives and Work in Lishui

Key initiatives include:

a) The "Ecological Product Value Realization Mechanism" (生态产品价值实现机制): This is the cornerstone of the "Lishui Model." It's a system to quantify the monetary value of a region's ecosystem services—clean air, clean water, biodiversity, carbon sequestration—and find ways to translate that value into income for farmers.

For example:

Carbon Sink Trading: Forested areas in Lishui can calculate their carbon sink capacity and sell these credits to polluting companies in other regions.

Brand Premium for "Green" Products: Agricultural products from Lishui can be sold at a higher price because they are certified as coming from a pristine ecological environment.

b) "Farmer-Led, Eco-Agriculture Cooperatives":

Following Wen Tiejun's emphasis on cooperatives, Lishui saw a boom in the formation of such entities. These cooperatives allow smallholder farmers to:

Pool their land for larger-scale, standardized eco-production.

Share processing and storage facilities.

Develop a common brand and marketing channel, bypassing middlemen.

Engage in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), directly connecting with consumers in nearby cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou who pay a premium for safe, traceable, ecological food.

c) Holistic Rural Development:

The work extends beyond just agriculture:

Eco-Tourism and Homestays: Villages restored traditional architecture and developed eco-tourism, attracting urbanites seeking a "rural experience."

Cultural Heritage Revival: Traditional crafts, local opera, and festivals were revitalized, becoming both a source of community pride and a tourist attraction.

"Wenlv Gongfu" (文旅工坊 - Cultural Tourism Workshops): These are small-scale, community-run workshops where tourists can experience and purchase local handicrafts, further diversifying the rural economy.

In essence, Lishui is the practical manifestation of Wen Tiejun's theories, brought to global prominence through the advocacy and networking of Lau Kin Chi.

Its significance is profound:

A Viable Alternative: It demonstrates that there is a viable, sustainable alternative to the "industrialize-or-perish" model for rural areas. Development can be based on ecological restoration and cultural vitality.

Policy Influence: The success of the "Lishui Model" directly influenced the Chinese central government. The concept of "Ecological Product Value Realization" is now a key component of national rural revitalization strategy ("Xiangcun Zhenxing" 乡村振兴).

Global Relevance: It provides a real-world case study for activists and scholars worldwide who are seeking pathways for "de-growth," "agroecology," and building community resilience against corporate globalization.

The work in Lishui is an ongoing, dynamic process with its own challenges (e.g., attracting and retaining youth, avoiding the pitfalls of commercialized tourism). However, it remains one of the most important and cited examples of the contemporary Rural Reconstruction movement in action."