"Culture, agriculture, and tourism are integrated as a trinity. Our Tongjia Village and Tongshi Old Street are classic Jiangnan riverside settlements. The Yaotong River irrigates the fields on both banks and nourishes generations of the Tong’s family, giving rise to a long-standing pharmaceutical merchant culture and intangible heritage. These elements of clear waters, green banks, and rural sceneries form the 'invaluable assets' that attract tourists and drive revitalization," said Wu Ying, a provincial cultural envoy.

At the lecture.

Recently, Wu Ying, the provincial cultural envoy, and young lecturers from the Zhuangqiao Subdistrict visited the ancient Tongjia Village—known as the "hometown of academicians" to carry out a youth-themed lecture on the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

With passion, Wu Ying explained to villagers the close connection between green development and rural revitalization, as well as the origin and meaning of the "Two Mountains" theory. Citing the vivid example of "Tongjia Village’s eight-colored rapeseed fields this year boosting tourist numbers by 30%," she conveyed the concept that "clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Provincial Cultural Envoy Wu Ying delivers a speech.

Subsequently, young lecturers shared examples of how ecological conservation and economic development complement each other, such as the Zhuangqiao River and Zhuangqiao Old Street, the Yaojiang Riverside Greenway, and the municipal "Beautiful Rivers and Lakes" project in Zhuangqiao, illustrating that "protecting the environment means protecting productivity, and improving it means developing productivity."

At the lecture.

In recent years, the Tongjia Village has thoroughly implemented the "Two Mountains" concept. Following natural principles and the requirements of "Beautiful Water Towns" and "Water-Vibrant Villages," it has carried out dredging, water quality improvement, and ecological projects, such as river rehabilitation, eco-landscaping, and wetland construction, etc. achieving "clear waters, green banks, and scenic beauty." The village has earned titles like Provincial A-Level Scenic Demonstration Village, Municipal Beautiful Village, and Municipal "Water-Vibrant Village" and so on.

Wu Ying noted that after last year’s fieldwork featuring the Tongjia Village on the cover of the “Classic of Mountains and Rivers” magazine, she will continue to invite cultural figures this year to explore its rivers, fields, old houses, and former residences of luminaries. By compiling these stories into a book, she aims to deeply preserve and promote the village’s natural beauty, local life, and historical culture.