Turning Point of Destiny

By Gao Xuechao
Updated: 2009-01-09 16:00

On the chilly morning of December 18, 1978, outside the Western Beijing Hotel. Pedestrians walked as usual, none of them realized that what would happen in that building would change their lives profoundly.

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC was held here from December18 to 22, 169 members and 112 substitute members of the Central Committee were present and witnessed the passing of historic decisions for China, which corrected the wrong doings in the march of the socialist construction, and set the key-note of economic development for the country. From the meeting hall, the warm breeze of the Reform and Opening-up Policy swept every corner in China.

The bugle of reform had been blowing from then, and a new epoch in China history began. Department stores, cinemas, parks mushroomed. The infrastructure constructions were improved. One city after another one were built up. The policy let the masses truly share the joys of social development. Taking Hebei province as an example, workers' incomes today are 30 times of those 30 years ago. Referring to the material from National Bureau of Statistics, the amount of cities was 655 in the end of 2007, while in 1978, this number was only 193. During the past30 years, 480 plus of the World Top 500 multinationals has set up subsidiaries or factories in China.

In the process of rapid development, we also acquired the importance of scientific development sense and sustainable development. Nowadays, more and more Chinese become environmentalists. Entering into supermarkets, you’ll find most domestic-made products are environment-friendly now.

After acknowledging of those huge changes in both our lives and society. I sank into the meditation of the exciting history of the reform. That epoch-making winter in 1978 was a starting line: national destiny, people’s fate took a U turn and headed to prosperity and happiness from then on. Living in the new millennium, we are no doubt to make more splendid achievements.