Chinese top Party and state leaders Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang joined Beijing residents in a tree planting event on April 2, 2011 on the west bank of Beijing's Yongding River. Altogether 1.9 million people in Beijing took part in Saturday's tree planting campaign from different sites across the city to take up afforestation activities.
The Year 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the country's volunteer tree planting campaign. Chinese volunteers have planted about 58.9 billion trees across the country over the past three decades. There is an old Chinese saying which tells people that trees should be planted before the Qingming Festival. It is said in an old Chinese book Suishibaiwen that all creatures growing at this time of the year are bright and clean. That’s why we call it Qingming in Chinese. Qingming was at a first an important solar term. When Qingming approaches, the rising temperature makes it a perfect time for spring plowing and planting.
Planting willows during the Qingming Festival is a traditional custom in China which can be traced back 2,600 years ago. Willows have strong vitality. There is an old saying that people often fail when they try to grow flowers, but willows always grow even when they are never sown intentionally. Willow twig can easily survive once you put it into the soil, no matter where it is. Magnificent shady protections can be found everywhere if willows are planted annually.
After the Revolution of 1911, the Qingming Festival used to be the Tree Planting Day. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in commemoration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen who attached great importance to afforestation, March 12 has become Tree Planting Day in China since the Sixth session of the Fifth National People's Congress Standing Committee in 1979 from the proposal of Deng Xiaoping. It is significant in motivating more Chinese to actively participate in China's increasing overall forest coverage
The custom of planting trees on Qingming reflects the belief of ancient Chinese people that harmonious coexistence should be achieved between humankind and nature. Nowadays, Chinese people still believe in the wisdom of our ancestors and scientifically plant trees around the time of Qingming, which helps to slow global warming, prevent water loss and soil erosion, check winds and fix sand, beautify the environment, and maintain the balance of nature.
