Israel adopts a village in China to mark its Independence Day
17/5/2006 14:21
A retractable roof, a modern irrigation system and high-quality
vegetables. The features of two advanced greenhouses that Israel have designed
for a village in the Beijing suburbs.
The Israeli Embassy in Beijing
yesterday celebrated its 58th Independence Day by adopting the Xiaoliugezhuang
village in outskirtan Daxing District. The greenhouse project is one part of the
cooperation.
"We decided to celebrate our National Day this year in a unique
way," said Dr. Yehoyada Haim, Ambassador of Israel, at the project inauguration
ceremony held at the village.
According to Haim, the Embassy will help
Xiaoliugezhuang village by introducing advanced methods and technologies in four
main fields: agriculture, health, education and community culture.
Besides
the two newly-built modern greenhouses, Israeli agricultural experts also
installed modern pressurized drip irrigation systems in 20 local greenhouses.
Local farmers also received 25,000 quality seeds from Israel, along with
training and professional consultation.
A total of six mobile digital milking
machines and data collection software were installed at a family dairy
farm.
"These modern facilities will make the small-scale dairy farm more
professional and increase productivity," said Lior Yaron, an Israeli dairy
cattle expert.
In the village there is a clinic, which serves approximately
5,000 residents from the surrounding area. In order to upgrade the local clinic,
the Israeli Embassy supplied medical equipment including surgery comprehensive
first-aid set, oxygen concentrator, ultrasound machine and much more.
Chang
Hong, a member of staff at the clinic, said that with all the equipment more
local residents will come to the clinic for treatment of minor diseases rather
than go to the larger hospitals further away.
In addition, the Israeli
Embassy has also helped a regional primary school with about 400 students by
establishing a library and a playground, and offered books, computers and
tracksuits for children.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing sent a written
message Tuesday to Ambassador Haim and expressed his congratulations on the
Israeli Independence Day which was celebrated in such a special way in
China.
Li said China is on the way to build a harmonious society, with one
important task to build a new socialist countryside under the concept of
developing in a scientific way.
In a mural painting on the school's gate,
renowned Israeli painter Rami Meiri and the school children jointly painted
their dreams: an Israeli girl and a Chinese girl walking together up some
stairs. Behind them are green forests, lawns and the Chinese words "Love from
Israel".
Xinhua
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