Wang Leyi during the interview. [Photo by Hu Mengfei]
Editor's note: Winter in Shouguang County, Weifang City, east China's Shandong Province used to be a time when fresh vegetables were not available. This history continued until 1989, when Wang Leyi, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) branch of Sanyuanzhu Village in the county, led 16 Party members successfully tried planting vegetables in solar greenhouses, which did not require coal but relied solely on sunlight for warmth in winter. This technology allowed the villagers to have fresh vegetables to eat in winter, and its popularization put an end to the history of not harvesting fresh vegetables in northern China during the winter.
During our interview with Wang Leyi, we found him to be an 83-year-old man, but his sun-tanned face showed perseverance. Wearing a Party emblem on his chest, he was a very determined man.
CHINA NEWS RELEASE: On August 13, 1989, despite widespread opposition, you cut down the ripening corns and persuaded 16 fellow villagers who were also Party members to grow cucumbers in solar greenhouses. What made you so audacious? Have you considered the consequences of failure?
Wang Leyi: It's been 35 years now. I was elected the village's production team leader in 1962. In 1978, I was elected the village Party chief. Given the fact that our village was poverty-stricken, and our grain and vegetable harvests were notoriously low, we decided to improve our infertile soil.