终极一家

Economist explores human stories behind development_我的网站

一 |     

    Zhou Jiang speaks at an event. Photo: Courtesy of Zhou Jiang
Zhou Jiang, a researcher at the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, has a favorite book:  White Deer Tableland or Bai Lu Yuan by renowned writer Chen Zhongshi.
As vice president of the Regional Science Association of China (RSAC), Zhou told the Global Times that a lifetime of reading has profoundly shaped the way he sees and understands the world. It ultimately led him to a career in research and academia, where he teaches and pursues scholarly work.
Since earning his PhD in economics in 2000, he has devoted himself to the study of regional science and economics, a field that demands a constant crossing of disciplinary boundaries, drawing on the fields of geography, sociology, history, and ecology among others.
"Reading has kept alive my sense of curiosity and taught me to ask questions with patience and persistence: Where do disparities in regional development come from? How do policies affect different groups in society? And how can a region pursue both efficiency and equity so that development is not merely effective, but also imbued with a greater sense of humanity and warmth?" Zhou noted. 
Founded in 1991, RSAC is a national academic society dedicated to advancing domestic and international academic exchange and cooperation, providing consulting services on spatial planning, urbanization, and regional development, and offering intellectual support for China's modernization drive.
The 57-year-old researcher noted that reading has empowered him in two distinct ways.
"The first is discernment. When confronted with a complex issue, I try not to settle for a simple conclusion. Instead, I make an effort to understand its broader context, how it has unfolded, and the perspectives of the different people involved," he said. 
"The second is a sense of inner steadiness. Setbacks are an inevitable part of both life and work. Good books remind us that hardship is never ours alone to bear; countless people before us have faced circumstances more difficult than our own, made difficult choices, and found the strength to carry on. Reading cannot solve every problem for us, but it can help us remain calm when challenges arise, giving us the clarity and resilience that allow us not to panic or give up too easily," he said. 
Historical depth

Each time Zhou returns to the White Deer Tableland, he finds something different in its pages. 
"When I first read it as a young person, I was drawn primarily to the characters and the twists and turns of their lives. Later, as I began researching regional economics, I found myself paying closer attention to the changes in the land, the countryside, families and social order presented in the story. Now, approaching 60, I have come to appreciate more deeply the choices the characters make, the constraints they face, and the quiet perseverance they show amid the sweeping currents of their times," he said. 
White Deer Tableland uses Bai Lu village in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province as a microcosm, tracing the feuds and intertwined fortunes of three generations of the Bai (literally meaning white) and Lu families. Through their stories, it captures more than half a century of sweeping historical change, from the final years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the 1970s and 1980s. The novel won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of China's top literature awards, in 1997.
Zhou prefers literary works with historical depth and a keen eye for social change. 
Regional economics may appear to be concerned with the spatial distribution of industries, population and resources, but at its heart, it is about how people live on a particular piece of land, and why some places flourish while others decline, he noted. 
In this sense, literature and history are more than pastimes beyond professional research. They often help him understand the historical context, cultural traditions and social mentality that lie behind economic data, he said. 
When reading novels, Zhou said that he often pays close attention to the relationship between people and the places they inhabit: How the land shapes the local character, how transportation transforms a region, and how shifts in industry reshape families and villages. Such details may not offer a direct conclusion, but they broaden a researcher's perspective. They also serve as a reminder that research should look beyond growth rates and statistical indicators to consider the sense of fulfillment experienced by ordinary people and the dignity of human beings.
Understanding ourselves
Once, while tidying his study, he came across a book filled with notes he had scribbled in his early years. Among them was a question that particularly caught his attention: "In the face of sweeping changes in the times and profound social transformation, what can a person truly determine for himself?"
Looking at those words he had written in his youth was like coming face to face with the person he had been decades ago.
Reading is not simply the act of understanding a book; it is also a record of a person's own growth, he said. The same book can reveal something entirely different when read at different stages of life. 
When we are young, we turn to books in search of answers; but when we become seasoned, we read more to understand life, to understand others, and ultimately, to better understand ourselves, Zhou said. 
In this era of fragmented information, AI can help people access information quickly, organize materials, and gain a basic understanding of unfamiliar fields. Yet deep reading, Zhou said, allows people to see how a conclusion is reached — what evidence supports it, where its boundaries lie, and what alternative interpretations it may invite.
What truly shapes a person, after all, is not how much information they have browsed, but the words that have made them pause and reflect - and the words that have remained with them for many years, he added. 
。    4月5日至4月15日，是生姜种植的黄金期。10天里，绥中县小庄子镇很多地段呈现一派忙碌的景象：男工趟垄、铺管，女工放种、覆膜......开心地唠家常，丰收的热切展望，在勤劳的身影中穿梭，欣欣向荣的画卷逐渐铺陈开来。         　　丁铁力是小庄子镇海泉村村主任，也是绥中县铁力专业合作社负责人。2007年，开始种植、收购生姜。“小庄子镇很多地块地势稍高，土质肥沃，透气性好，地里有深眼井，适合种植生姜。

二 | 几十年前，就开始有人小规模种植。近年来，开始大面积推广。”                    女工往垄沟里放生姜种子                    　　截至目前，小庄子镇共种植生姜7000余亩，分布在打雀村、小庄子村、海泉村、永安村等10个村子。

三 | 据小庄子镇主管农业的副镇长赵博介绍，当地的生姜品质高，各方面指标均符合标准，且个头大、均匀，在国内市场占有率高，颇受欢迎，还出口国外。

四 | 生姜为种植户铺就了致富路，种植户的信心增强，种植热情“水涨船高”。         　　刚过清明，丁铁力每天组织50余人，女工每天180元，男工每天200元，他们相互配合，在地里忙活着。4月8日11时多，大家又直起腰，专注地种植生姜。与普通农作物相比，生姜的垄较宽，沟也较深，这样有利于蓄水储能及生姜的生长。         　　“往垄沟里放完种子后，然后铺管滴灌，再覆盖一部分土，15天左右出苗。

五 | 6月1日前后趟垄，原先的垄沟变成垄台，原先的垄台变成垄沟，整个生产流程基本完成。

六 | ”丁铁力说。         　　种植生姜的种子、肥料、人工等费用较高，每亩达到1.5万元左右。尽管如此，但丁铁力仍乐此不疲，究其原因，他解释说，小庄子镇的生姜“好女不愁嫁”。以去年为例，每亩地产生姜1.2万斤，每斤3元，每亩地产值3.6万元。这样下来，每亩地利润达到2万多元。

七 |          　　丁铁力所在的专业合作社有200余户村民加入，几年来，他们拧成一股绳，统一规划，合力发展，不仅拓宽市场，还赢得了良好口碑。“只有大家心往一处使，将产品视为自己的眼睛，让它‘出落得亭亭玉立’，才能赢得一片喝彩声。

八 | 近期，准备向有关部门申请名优产品标识。”                    种植生姜                    　　值得一提的是，在最初的田间生产过程中，当地科学适度施农家肥，使得土壤松软，果实质量上乘。赵博说，据粗略统计，绥中县农村地区一半左右的农家肥运到小庄子镇，支持特色产业发展。种植生姜一亩地平均施农家肥7立方米。

九 | “党委政府坚持可持续发展、绿色发展的理念，从土地要效益的同时，还要不遗余力地爱护好这片可爱的家园。”          　　小庄子镇生姜产业的发展，不仅给广大种植户带来良好收益，也活跃了劳动力市场。据统计，在种植、收获期间，每天有近2000人在田间地头干活儿。这些人当中，除了有一部分是农村经纪人及本地村民外，还有一部分人是来自绥中西部山区。         　　“全镇的生姜产业底子厚，市场信誉度高，种植户技术娴熟、经验丰富，使得当地的生姜声名鹊起。进一步强化党建引领作用，在推动产业带头人、搭建购销平台、技术培训等方面，党委政府及时充当‘过墙梯’‘摆渡船’角色，不遗余力地予以扶持，让全镇的生姜产业将更有活力，‘姜’来更加美好。”小庄子镇党委书记刘伟说。

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Published on:20:53:02