East China's Jiangsu province has made every effort to create high-quality life in promoting high-quality development in response to General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction that "the people's aspiration for a better life is our goal" when the General Secretary made an inspection tour to Mazhuang Village, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City, in December 2017.
Since the Spring Festival, Mazhuang Village, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City has welcomed tourists from all over the country. This herbal sachet culture courtyard, which integrates sachet production experience and folk culture display, is popular every day.
Tourist said, "There are many colors for us to choose from and the sachet looks exquisite. I bought the same sachet as the General Secretary bought five years ago in order to keep a souvenir."
Wang Xiuying, the provincial representative inheritor of Xuzhou sachet, a national intangible cultural heritage project, is introducing sachet to tourists.
On December 12, 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Mazhuang and repeatedly referred to the sachet made by Wang Xiuying as "really good" and "very exquisite". Wang Xiuying was very excited when she recalled the exchange with the General Secretary.
Wang Xiuying, Villager of Mazhuang Village, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City said, "The General Secretary said that we should buy one sachet. I said I gave one to you. He said no as what you are doing is an industry and I will give you support. I am so excited that I think we must continue to develop the sachet technology, enrich the villagers in Mazhuang and make the sachet industry develop further."
Thanks to the encouragement of the General Secretary, over the past five years, Mazhuang has actively developed the sachet industry, expanding the "small workshop" of 70 square meters to a sachet yard of more than 2000 square meters with the team of "embroidery lady" growing from more than a dozen to more than 300.
In the past three years, affected by the COVID-19, offline sales of sachets have encountered considerable challenges. After investigation and discussion, the village opened a livestreaming room last year to help villagers expand their sales. A group of young people with ideas, ability and drive also joined the livestreaming team.
Sun Geyao, College student returning home for start-up said, "I was attending college when the General Secretary came to Mazhuang for an inspection tour in 2017. I saw the news on TV. I was very excited. Seeing that the sachet industry in Mazhuang Village is booming, I decided to come back and help develop the sachet industry."
Today's Mazhuang sachets are sold overseas, with an output value of more than 4 million yuan in 2022. Since last year, Mazhuang has opened up more than 200 mu of Chinese herbal medicine fields, planted herbal medicines such as marigold and wormwood, and helped more people find jobs in the village.
Wang Xia, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Mazhuang Village, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City said, "Listening to the speech of the General Secretary on the spot strengthened the confidence and determination of the people to make life better. After the sachet industry became larger, the Party Committee gathered the wisdom of the villagers and planted Chinese herbs according to the needs of the people, which not only saved a lot of expenses but also increased the income of the village collective and the villagers."
Over the years, Mazhuang Village has won more than 20 national honors. The income of the village has increased from 1.87 million yuan in 2017 to more than 2.3 million yuan in 2022, and the per capita income of the villagers has increased from 18600 yuan to 35600 yuan. Small sachets have become the "golden bag" for villagers to become rich and increase income, and the "big gift bag" for the village to improve people's livelihood.
Mao Fei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Mazhuang Village, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City said, "For more than five years, Mazhuang has always followed the direction guided by the General Secretary. Whether it is to develop the characteristic sachet industry or optimize the basic public services, the village has always firmly established the people-centered development concept, carefully and passionately do every practical thing for people's livelihood and solidly promote common prosperity."
