Recently, Fujian Province exposed a series of inappropriate practices in the implementation of the Beautiful Countryside Project, an ongoing program to boost the development of rural areas. For instance, some villages have built vanity projects such as large parks and squares regardless of local people's needs, some have blindly imitated cities by surfacing roads with concrete, and in other cases, original landscapes and ecosystems of rural areas have been damaged.

Cities and villages are two forms of society with different natural environments and ways of life. Characteristics of villages should be respected in the unfolding of the rural development project. Copying cities' models in rural areas will result in a patchwork that is neither suitable for living nor beautiful.

For instance, in south China, people of the same clan often live close to each other and houses are built at the foot of hills or on their slopes, facing rivers. The elevated position ensures cooler temperatures and ample sunshine, while the closeness to rivers ensures adequate water for drinking and other daily needs. If houses are built on flat ground, not only will precious land resources be wasted, but the cultural and social characteristics of villages will also be changed.

In carrying out the Beautiful Countryside Project, rural areas should focus on improving ecosystems, the living environment and people's livelihoods. Cultural and social traditions should be well protected in order to make rural areas dwelling places with unique characteristics rather than replicas of cities.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Guangming Daily on May 18)