A retractable roof, a modern irrigation system and high-quality vegetables – are the features of two advanced greenhouses that Israel designed for a village in the Beijing suburbs.

 

The Israeli Embassy in Beijing Tuesday celebrated its 58th Independence Day by adopting the Xiaoliugezhuang village in 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. H.E. Yehoyada Haim, Ambassador of Israel, at the project inauguration ceremony held at the village.

 

According to Haim, the Embassy has donated 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) to help Xiaoliugezhuang village by introducing advanced methods and technologies and providing facilities in four main fields: agriculture, health, education and community culture.

 

"The donation came from the embassy and about 20 Israeli companies and individuals," said Haim.

 

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.

 

"We attached great importance to the sustainable health of the villagers at the very beginning of our plans to initiate the program," said the ambassador.

 

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 News Agency May 17, 2006)