Locals in Dongshan County vows to further develop tourism industry following Xi's visit

People in Dongshan County of east China's Fujian Province are inspired by President Xi Jinping's visit, saying that they will leverage local advantages to further develop tourism industry.

On Tuesday afternoon, Xi inspected Aojiao Village of Dongshan County in the city of Zhangzhou, and learned about the sale of dried seafood and the fishing harvest.

Xi, who visited the village 23 years ago, said he was delighted to see that the village has undergone tremendous changes, adding that China's countryside will surely have a brighter prospect on the new journey in the new era.

Covering an area of 6.83 square kilometers and with the sea on three sides, the village has leveraged its prominent coastal environment advantages to coordinate development of five leading industries - marine fishing, aquaculture, seafood processing, e-commerce and rural tourism.

In 2023, the collective income of the village reached 1.73 million yuan (about 243,000 U.S. dollars), with an average per capita disposable income of 58,000 yuan (about 8,150 U.S. dollars). It has been honored as a national-level Advanced Village and one of the most beautiful fishing villages in China.

The village currently has 88 large power steel fishing vessels, 38 seafood processing enterprises, 117 seafood e-commerce companies and 41 homestays.

Lin Hubin is the owner of one of the homestays in the village. He said the island scenery and abundant fishery resources have created many businesses for people in Aojiao Village.

"An increasing number of individuals, including college graduates, are returning to Dongshan County to thrive in the e-commerce sector by selling seafood. Additionally, many are successfully launching homestays, enhancing the local tourism industry," he said.

Xi also paid a visit to the Gu Wenchang Memorial Hall, where he learned about the inspiring deeds of Gu, a former Party chief of Dongshan.

The Gu Wenchang Memorial Hall was opened in 2004. The exhibition features many historical photos and objects used by Gu during his lifetime, vividly reproducing the moving scenes of him leading the Dongshan people to fundamentally improve the ecological environment.

"President Xi expressed a strong interest in the exhibition's afforestation section, which highlighted the impressive achievements of Dongshan County. We are actively transforming Dongshan Island into a premier eco-tourism destination, and we are making significant strides toward realizing this vision," said Zhang Dongling, the curator of the memorial hall.

Beginning in the 1950s, Gu Wenchang led the people of Dongshan in a more-than-a-decade-long effort to plant trees, ultimately converting the once wind-and-sand-ravaged island into a green paradise.

During the inspection, Xi urged officials to emulate the example of Gu in both personal conduct and governance, and work towards promoting local development during their time in office.

Locals in Dongshan County vows to further develop tourism industry following Xi's visit

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests