A retractable roof, a modern irrigation system and high-quality
vegetables – are the features of two advanced greenhouses that
Israel designed for a village in the Beijing suburbs.
The Israeli Embassy in Beijing Tuesday celebrated its 58th
Independence Day by adopting the Xiaoliugezhuang village in Daxing
District. The greenhouse project is one part of the
cooperation.
"We decided to celebrate our National Day this year in a unique
way," said Dr. H.E. Yehoyada Haim, Ambassador of Israel, at the
project inauguration ceremony held at the village.
According to Haim, the Embassy has donated 500,000 yuan
(US$62,500) to help Xiaoliugezhuang village by introducing advanced
methods and technologies and providing facilities in four main
fields: agriculture, health, education and community culture.
"The donation came from the embassy and about 20 Israeli
companies and individuals," said Haim.
Besides the two newly-built modern greenhouses, Israeli
agricultural experts also installed modern pressurized drip
irrigation systems in 20 local greenhouses. Local farmers also
received 25,000 quality seeds from Israel, along with training and
professional consultation.
A total of six mobile digital milking machines and data
collection software were installed at a family dairy farm.
"These modern facilities will make the small-scale dairy farm
more professional and increase productivity," said Lior Yaron, an
Israeli dairy cattle expert.
In the village there is a clinic, which serves approximately
5,000 residents from the surrounding area. In order to upgrade the
local clinic, the Israeli Embassy supplied medical equipment
including surgery comprehensive first-aid set, oxygen concentrator,
ultrasound machine and much more.
"We attached great importance to the sustainable health of the
villagers at the very beginning of our plans to initiate the
program," said the ambassador.
Chang Hong, a member of staff at the clinic, said that with all
the equipment more local residents will come to the clinic for
treatment of minor diseases rather than go to the larger hospitals
further away.
In addition, the Israeli Embassy has also helped a regional
primary school with about 400 students by establishing a library
and a playground, and offered books, computers and tracksuits for
children.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing sent a written message Tuesday to
Ambassador Haim and expressed his congratulations on the Israeli
Independence Day which was celebrated in such a special way in
China.
Li said China is on the way to build a harmonious society, with
one important task to build a new socialist countryside under the
concept of developing in a scientific way.
In a mural painting on the school's gate, renowned Israeli
painter Rami Meiri and the school children jointly painted their
dreams: an Israeli girl and a Chinese girl walking together up some
stairs. Behind them are green forests, lawns and the Chinese words
"Love from Israel".
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2006)