In March this year, a 64-year-old woman in Shangchou Village,
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, became an overnight sensation
after her story was broadcast on China's Central Television
(CCTV).
Lan Fengxiu and eight other older villagers spent more than 300
days constructing a 3km dirt road around a mountain, ending their
isolation from the outside world.
They used simple farm tools and worked more than eight hours a
day, driven by the aim of enabling children in their village to go
to school and see the outside world. They called it the "road to
happiness".
Students from Anhui Fuyang
University show their paper-cutting skills, with the Chinese
characters of "building a harmonious society". (photo: China
Daily)
Millions of viewers were moved. Wang Ren, director and producer
of Shanghai-based Dragon TV Station, was one of them.
It was the second time that Wang had seen the story, having
first read about it in a local magazine. So when he began preparing
for a documentary about "building a harmonious socialist society",
the political catchphrase of recent years, the first person he
wanted to interview was Lan.
"She exactly illustrates the common people's contribution to the
building of a harmonious society," Wang says.
Lan's became the lead story in the five-episode documentary
called Road to Revival (Fu Xing Zhi Lu).
Wang concedes that poor people doing things without help from
those with wealth or authority could appear to contradict the
concept of a "harmonious society".
However, he sees it differently.
"Chinese people have such a strong tradition of caring for
others, doing things for others," he says.
About 30 stories were included in the 250-minute documentary,
which was first screened from October 10 to 14, just before the
17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Due
to popular demand, it was aired again from October 15 to 19.
Among those featured in the documentary is Chen Faqing, a farmer
in Fengkou County in East China's Zhejiang Province, who spent his
savings of 500,000 yuan ($67,500) advertising in newspapers for
better environmental protection after he realized the drinking
water in his hometown was seriously polluted due to economic
development.
There is also the story of a couple living near the Taklimakan
Desert, who grew trees along the roadside and provided food, water
and basic aid for passers-by.
And then there's Shi Shuzhu, a villager in Minqin County of
Northwest China's Gansu Province, who spent 50 years planting trees
to prevent the desert from devouring his village.
It also showed volunteers helping poor children continue their
studies, seeking financial or technical support for migrant workers
to get medical care, or helping disabled people learn skills.
Wang Ren says these people give him hope that a harmonious
society can be realized: A society in which people care for each
other, respect differences and appreciate others.
"It's in accordance with Chinese tradition that there is great
power among common people," he says.
China's double-digit growth in recent years has led to problems,
including widespread environmental pollution and increased income
division, which impairs social stability.
The catchphrase "harmonious society" first appeared in the
report of the 16th CPC National Congress, in November 2002, which
discussed building a moderately prosperous society in the first 20
years of this century.
University and middle
school students from Jiangsu Province express the message of
harmony with their paintings. (photo: China
Daily)
In September 2004, "building a harmonious socialist society" was
first put forward by the 16th CPC Central Committee at its fourth
plenary session, and in 2005 President Hu Jintao addressed the
topic in his keynote speech at the Party School of the CPC Central
Committee.
In October 2006, the CPC identified the general requirements of
"building a harmonious socialist society" as "democracy and the
rule of law, equity and justice, honesty and fraternity, vigor and
vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and
nature".
Wang says that while shooting, he found that many of the people
he met had found contentment through helping others.
"The building of a harmonious society is a process of mass
involvement and can only be achieved when every individual's
interest is respected and fulfilled," Wang says.
That is the documentary's message: The significance of "harmony"
in the hearts of individuals to the country's economic and social
development.
"Common people are significant to the building of a harmonious
society. They have the right to participate and share the
achievement," says Li Youmei, professor of sociology at Shanghai
University.
Wang says he tried to find examples of wealthy people
contributing to society, but came up empty handed.
"I've found common Chinese much better than the rich," he
says.
The documentary also explores the role of government in building
a harmonious society.
Through interviews with experts on politics, philosophy and
sociology, it defines "harmonious society" from the outset. "A
harmonious society can provide enough space for different
approaches to individual development, while fully respecting their
human dignity," says Zhu Weizheng, professor of history with
Shanghai's Fudan University.
"It's the responsibility of the government to create the
environment," Wang says.
Chen Xian, professor at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences,
agrees. "The government should provide satisfactory public services
for the people, including national defense, public security,
medical care, education, minimum living allowances and so on."
"The proposal of building a harmonious society and the way the
Party and the government practice it will see more attention paid
to individuals and their different attitudes," says Yan Shuhan,
director of the scientific socialism division of the Central Party
School.
He said the government should play a leading role while the
people should be encouraged to take part in building a harmonious
society.
Wang agrees the government should provide better public services
and that it has not done enough.
He says the dirt road Lan Fengxiu and other villagers built will
be easily destroyed when it rains, and they'll have to keep
repairing it.
A permanent road would cost another 300,000 yuan ($41,000) and
Lan asked the producer for help to raise the money. "I could do
nothing, but gave them several thousand yuan myself, which is
nowhere near enough," he said.
(China Daily December 14, 2007)
