Gao Quanguo rides a motorcycle in Junying village on Jan 13. [Photo provided to China Daily]

More than a decade later, Xi visited Junying village again in 1997 and learned that its tea cultivation area had expanded from about 33.3 hectares to more than 186.7 hectares — a fivefold increase.

Xi, then deputy secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, stressed that development must go hand in hand with environmental protection, an early articulation of the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

"At that time, forestry protection was not taken seriously in many rural areas," Gao recalled. "Only a few forest farms were well protected, while most villages were surrounded by barren hills."

"Because we planted tea, farmers used to cut down trees for firewood to stir-fry fresh tea leaves," he said. "But Xi told us that while planting more tea and fruit, we must not forget forest conservation and greening."

Today, Junying village reflects the balance between development and ecological protection.

Following the launch of China's rural vitalization strategy, tea production was integrated with culture and tourism in the village in 2019.

"Visitors can experience tea picking in the mountains. Homestays and agritainment businesses have been developed. Tourists are coming, and our income sources have become diversified," Gao said, adding that the village's annual per capita income has now risen to more than 40,000 yuan.

Last year, one of Gao's sons built two four-story apartment buildings to operate homestays, further expanding the family's tourism-related business.

Meanwhile, Junying village is now home to more than 270 hectares of ecological forest, covering once-barren hills in green.

"Transportation is well connected now, and the ecological environment has improved significantly," Gao said. "Farmers are living much happier lives."