Xi Story: Banyan trees bear witness to a greener Fuzhou

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the importance of advancing urban and rural greening in a coordinated manner, and adding green spaces wherever space allows so as to give both urban and rural residents a greater sense of gain from greenery when taking part in a voluntary tree-planting activity in Beijing on March 30, 2026.

Urban and rural greening directly affects the quality of living environments and the happiness of the people. Xi has consistently attached great importance to this endeavor.

In 1994, Lin Yan, an engineer with the Fuzhou Municipal Landscape Bureau (now Fuzhou Garden Center), wrote a book on the banyan tree. He submitted the manuscript to Xi, then secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fuzhou Municipal Committee, to invite him to contribute a postscript to the book. 

More than 30 years later, Lin's heart still swells with emotion whenever he reads Xi's writings. "Today in Fuzhou, greenery greets you through your window and gardens appear the moment you step outside," Lin said. "Living here, I truly feel happy."