Xi's Imprint on the Era | A Place Xi Jinping Has "Never Forgotten"

Carrying out social surveys among China's vast population is a basic skill for a Chinese official.

Xi Jinping has always been diligent in this field.

On July 19, 1989, Xi, who had just arrived in Ningde, southeast China's Fujian Province, led more than 30 colleagues to Xiadang Township for a field trip.

At that time, Xiadang was very poor: there were no roads, no tap water, no electric lights, and the local government did not even have office space.

When the roads were impassable, Xi walked the mountain roads with everyone else.

A fellow colleague recorded that field trip: "5 hours by car, 4 and a half hours on foot...the soles of the feet and toes were covered with bloody blisters."

Upon arriving at Xiadang, the team held a symposium.

The cadres and masses reported their problems on site and Xi immediately made arrangements, requiring colleagues accompanying him who were in charge to resolve them before deadlines.

They spent 14 hours on the journey that day.

After 8 p.m., the team finally returned to the county seat for dinner.

Xi later went to Xiadang twice and coordinated personnel to solve a number of development problems.

Xi was deeply impressed by these social surveys. He said: "Xiadang is a place that I have never forgotten."