Chapter 35 Chapter 34 Leizhou Youth Canal Past and Present

Although the Leizhou Peninsula was also hit by typhoons and droughts this year, when we galloped on its highway, what we saw was green everywhere. It is a natural color that cannot be called out on the palette.Today's Leizhou Peninsula has the ability to resist various natural disasters. This ability has been established in the past 60 years, especially 30 years. It is no longer impoverished, desolate, and can be knocked down by any disaster. We also chatted with many people along the way, and many people would praise Hedi Reservoir and Leizhou Youth Canal, saying that they are "meritorious water" and "spring of life".

Everyone knows the importance of water. Living things are inseparable from water. Water is the life of all life, but it is underestimated by ordinary people. They think it is too common and cheap, and do not value its value. .Yes, there is a lot of water on the earth, 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water, but it is sea water, which is salty, inedible, and unirritable; fresh water only accounts for 2.5% of the total water, and more than 80% of it is the north and south poles Only 1% of the glaciers and snow-capped mountains can be used by human beings, and its only source is the rain from the sky.For this little water, many parts of the world are in constant conflict over its distribution, so authoritative experts believe that the world once fought for land, oil, and will soon be fighting for water!This is very sensational!That's right when you think about it, because the growing world needs water more and more!

Human survival needs water, and food production also needs water. Hedi Reservoir and Qingnian Canal not only provide people's domestic water, agricultural water, but also industrial water. We returned to Leizhou Peninsula after many years, and we really felt the state of "three days after farewell to Shifa".We walked through several counties. Before the reform and opening up, there were only low and dilapidated one-story towns in the counties. Today, there are tall buildings and tall buildings, cars like flowing water, and horses like dragons. The level of hotels and restaurants there is not inferior to that of big cities. This has to be called We exclaimed in our hearts: "The tide of development has already filled the harbor here! The contrast that was so obvious in the past can be said to have disappeared now!" This is the conclusion in our hearts.

Industrial development is also inseparable from water, Hedi Reservoir and Qingnian Canal.It is not an exaggeration to say that it is "meritorious water". Half a century ago, when the Hedi Reservoir and Qingnian Canal were being built, more attention was paid to people's domestic water and quenching thirst for agriculture, and they did not think about the subsequent development of industry. needs! This water has a long history! Along the way, I heard stories like this: During the "Cultural Revolution", the rebels fought against Meng Xiande, the secretary of the Zhanjiang Prefectural Party Committee, the commander-in-chief of the Hedi Reservoir, and the Qingnian Canal Water Conservancy Project. He admitted the "heinous crime" of building water conservancy projects.The man of steel refused to bow his head, and said heavily:

"If the Hedi Reservoir and Qingnian Canal hadn't been built back then, you wouldn't have had enough water to drink, and you wouldn't have had enough food to eat. You wouldn't have enough energy to criticize me here today!" In the extreme anger at that time, Meng Xiande hadn't thought about the deeper problem that Zhanjiang's industry would not be able to develop without water in the future. Water is the life of all life and the blood of industry. Zhanjiang, Leizhou Peninsula, Hedi Reservoir, and Qingnian Canal have a blood relationship that permeates every aspect of life.

It is with reverence that we come to revisit this library and relive the years of burning passion. Water is crucial to the Leizhou Peninsula, and we must start with the long history of drought and drought in Leizhou Peninsula. The Leizhou Peninsula has experienced many disasters, such as wind, lightning, sea tide, flood and pests, but the most worrying thing is the drought.The lack of water has long plagued this long-legged peninsula jutting into the sea. The Leizhou Peninsula used to be a vast shallow sea. About 200 million years ago, the earth's crust changed drastically, and the world was turned upside down.During the Himalayan orogeny, Hainan Island and the Leizhou Peninsula were separated due to crustal fracture and subsidence, forming the Qiongzhou Strait with a width of 18 nautical miles.At the same time, volcanic magma in the depths of the formation spewed out of the ground, and volcanic lava covered half of the peninsula, forming many low hilly landforms.Volcanic ash is fertile, but volcanic sandstone is loose and cannot hold water.The red volcanic rock formations make Leizhou Peninsula a red soil peninsula.

Perhaps, people will not believe that Leizhou Peninsula is short of water. People only believe that the western inland is short of water, but it has been suffering from drought in history. The annual rainfall here is about 1700 mm, which should be said to be very abundant, but the rains are mostly concentrated in the months of July, August, and September. The rain is often very urgent, but there is no way to keep them in Leizhou Peninsula. The high terrain with low surroundings and the water permeability of the sandstone geology allow the water to flow into the sea very quickly.A heavy rain will become a flood, and three days without rain will become a drought.Leizhou Peninsula has almost no rivers, lakes or wetlands except for a short Nandu River in the south.If Wangtiantian is not regulated by water conservancy, it will become a complete Wangtiantian.

Historically, the development of Leizhou Peninsula was relatively late. Except for Xuwen, which was established as a county in the Han Dynasty, Lianjiang and Suixi were established as counties in the Tang Dynasty. Zhanjiang was originally a small fishing village, and it became lively after the Southern Song Dynasty.Wuchuan was also developed after the Southern Song Dynasty. Leizhou Peninsula has always been regarded as a wild and exotic land, and some officials and officials were exiled here, thinking that it is a place where they will never return.The ancestors living on Leizhou Peninsula were "Baiyue" people, who were called "Liliao" people in Sui and Tang Dynasties, including Yi, Xi, Dong, Liao, Li and other ethnic groups.Please note that their titles are all suffixed with anti-dog. They are considered to be of the same family as beasts, and they are not even qualified to be called "human".After the Song Dynasty, the number of immigrants from Leizhou Peninsula increased. In the Ming Dynasty, a large number of immigrants came here from Fujian, and the population increased sharply.

Drought is accompanied by the Leizhou Peninsula, inherent. Those old county chronicles with yellowed and brittle paper and many wormholes recorded many dangerous and many disasters. The records in the Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties were quite rough, and the contents in the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China were more extensive. , It is often inseparable from the records of "thousands of miles in the red land, there is no green in the valley", "rice pearls pay for osmanthus, starving and dying everywhere".The soil in Leizhou Peninsula is red, called "red soil". This red soil further contributes to the visual impression of drought like fire, and highlights the texture of drought.

Since ancient times, in this drought-stricken area, it has been wild and hot, dripping water is hard to find, and nine out of ten species are not harvested. The people live in extreme poverty. When encountering severe drought, there is no drinking water. , Thousands of miles away. Here are some excerpts from the county annals: In the 20th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty [1593], there was a severe drought in June and there was no crop, the price of rice was high, and many people went into exile. In the 23rd year of Wanli [1595], there was a severe drought in Leizhou, and thousands of miles of bare land. It was two cents and five cents for a bucket of rice every year. "Shicheng [now Lianjiang] County Chronicles" also said: In spring, there is a great famine, and rice is very expensive.The ballad goes: "A goose is only exchanged for three liters of grain, and a bucket of rice can find an eight-year-old child."

In the twenty-sixth year of Wanli [1598], heavy winds and rains destroyed houses and damaged crops. In the thirty-ninth year of Wanli, locusts were a disaster. In just a few years, there were disasters every year, and the small-scale peasant economy could not stand such a torment. The more shocking "thousands of miles in the red land". More like: In the 22nd year of Qianlong [1757], there was a great hunger. In the forty-second year of Qianlong [1777], there was a severe drought and locusts infested. In the forty-third year of Qianlong [1778], there was a great hunger, and porridge was set up for relief. In the eleventh year of Guangxu [1885] there was a famine. In the seventeenth year of Guangxu [1891] the plague prevailed, killing more than 700 people. In the 21st year of Guangxu (1895), there was a severe drought, and the price of grain was high. In the 23rd year of Guangxu [1897] the plague, bougainvillea bamboo knots, year-old hunger, people eat more bamboo to satisfy their hunger. In the 25th year of Guangxu [1899] plague, severe drought, and severe famine. In the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty [1902], there was a severe drought, no crops were harvested, the victims of the disaster were displaced, and countless people died of starvation. In the thirty-second year of the Republic of China [1943], 80% of the farmland was cracked, the crops were scorched, and the people were in dire straits. The people went to the mountains to find wild vegetables to satisfy their hunger. Such sorrows cannot be quoted one by one, and the tragedies from generation to generation continue.In addition, tides landed, typhoons raged, lightning strikes [Leizhou is the second minefield in the world after Java Island in Indonesia], heavy rains destroyed houses, and it was finally attributed to "the great hunger of the people". Facing the drought in Leizhou, Chen Jian, a poet of the Ming Dynasty, sang: "I met an old farmer by the side of the road, and wept without saying a word. Last year, even the bitter wind blew into my house. This year, in the drought, there are stomachs everywhere, grass roots and bark. Hungry as food porridge..." In August of the sixth year of the Republic of China [1917], Li Zongren, the battalion commander of the Guangxi warlords, arrived in Leizhou from Guangzhou to guard Leizhou. Hundreds of people looted Tangjia Lingjie Village, villagers rose up to resist, hundreds of people were killed, houses in the village were burned, and property was looted.” How poor are the people of Leizhou? In the early days of liberation, some cadres who went to the countryside went to the Haikang countryside for a long-term stay. They used two wooden stools and a wooden board as a bed. The wooden stools were not level, so they wanted to find a piece of broken brick and tile to make the foot of the stool flat.But they walked all over the village, but couldn't find it.After understanding their intentions, the villagers said: "You don't need to look for it. There has never been a house with brick walls and tiles in our village. Where can we get broken bricks and tiles?" It turns out that the villagers here have built grass for generations. When you set foot on the red land of Leizhou Peninsula, you will first see the bullock carts moving slowly, and wisps of red dust like light smoke rise up.The two wheels of the bullock cart are two pieces of wood sawn into a circle. Because they are not round, they are often oval. On the desolate fields, the vegetation is thin and the grass is yellow.According to scientific tests, it takes 120 years to form a centimeter-thick soil on the surface, but a few heavy rains can wash away all the centimeter-thick soil.The "mud bone" left after the topsoil is lost is as hard as a stone, and no grass can grow; even if the sparse grass grows with difficulty, in order to solve the fuel problem, women and children keep raking back and forth with bamboo rakes to find fertilizer. People shoveled the turf and piled it up for smoking.It is difficult for grass to grow on this barren land. Above the wilderness, there is no village that is familiar to outsiders. There is only a bit of gray and green surrounded by bougainvillea bamboo forests and wild pineapple clumps.This is the home of generations of Leizhou people. This appearance has lasted for at least 1,000 years. People's living space is compressed to the minimum by drought and various natural and man-made disasters, and people's living needs are compressed to the minimum. This is the old Leizhou Peninsula. This is where people's lives are so difficult. After liberation, the power of wanting to change from being poor erupted like a volcano, and the desire to get rid of poverty was as turbulent and powerful as the waves of the sea. On June 10, 1958, the Leizhou Youth Canal, known as the "unprecedented creation" in Zhanjiang, started construction! In the Zhanjiang area, where the terrain is like a big mushroom, the mushroom pole is surrounded by sea on both sides, with Leizhou Bay on one side and Beibu Bay on the other. Moved to the Lianjiang area of ​​Mushroom Head, which is the only reservoir site with excellent geographical conditions.Although the Lianjiang area is also a low hilly area, and the highest mountain is only more than 200 meters, it is adjacent to Luchuan and Bobai counties in Guangxi, where there are high mountains and large caves, and there are vast rain-collecting areas.Jiuzhou River [also known as Shijiao Water] originates from there and flows into Beibu Gulf via Lianjiang River.Although the Jiuzhou River is not long, in the rainy season, the floods rush down, destroying houses and flooding the land since ancient times.Therefore, it was decided to cut off the Jiuzhou River near Hedi Village and Beijiangtou Village in Lianjiang, and build the Hedi Reservoir. After the Hedi Reservoir was completed, it took over most of the flow of the Jiuzhou River. Even if the flood in the rainy season was heavy, the huge Hedi Reservoir could accommodate it, resolving the floods along the coast since ancient times; and the water from the Jiuzhou River entered the reservoir, stored and adjusted. Use, in the arid land of Leizhou, dripping water is often as expensive as oil, how can it be allowed to flow away and be wasted in vain? In addition to building the Hedi Reservoir, new rivers must be dug on the Leizhou Peninsula where there are almost no rivers, so that the water from the reservoir can flow into the arid Leizhou.So this huge water conservancy project includes two parts: Hedi Reservoir and Leizhou Qingnian Canal. This project also includes several parts: The first is to intercept the main water volume of the Jiuzhou River by damming it into the reservoir, leaving only a small part to discharge along the old river channel to irrigate both sides of the river.But at this time, Jiuzhoujiang is no longer wild, just a calm and docile character.Its wildness has entered the wide and flooded reservoir area, and after being well-trained in the reservoir area, it will go to the downstream hundreds of miles away. The second is to repair the reservoir. The Hedi Reservoir is located in a hilly area. It is not surrounded by high mountains or large ridges. It is surrounded by hills with a height of more than 200 meters. There are many gaps between the hills, and they must be repaired together. , A total of blocking giant billows.In addition to the 885-meter-long main dam near Hedi Village, there are as many as 37 auxiliary dams, united sincerely, and together they circle the rippling clear water of the lake. Hedi Reservoir has a storage capacity of more than 1.1 billion cubic meters of water and is one of the top 10 reservoirs in the country, covering an area of ​​more than 120 square kilometers.Long in shape, the sky shines on the water, and the clear water fills the ground. Haohaoran is a leader and giant in southern water conservancy projects.It is an "artificial sea". The old society owed too much money to water conservancy projects. After liberation, people's enthusiasm for water conservancy repairs was in full swing.At the same time as the Hedi Reservoir, water conservancy projects across the country have been launched, such as the Miyun Reservoir in Beijing, which is not only China but also the largest reservoir in Asia. Construction started in September 1958 and was completed in September 1960. It is used to store water from the Chaobai River.Another example is the Hongqi Canal in Lin County, Henan Province, which started construction in 1960 and was completed in 1969. This is a model project of "Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains and Transforms China".After 10 years of hard work, water from the Zhanghe River was diverted from Shanxi to Lin County. Along the way, 180 tunnels were dug on the cliffs of Dahang Mountain with primitive methods, 150 canals were erected, and 2,000 kilometers of canals were built, which solved the problem of people and livestock in Lin County. Difficulties such as drinking water, land irrigation, and industrial water have ended the history of "water is as expensive as oil, low yield and backward" in Lin County.The spirit of the people in these places also inspires the people of Leizhou. Water conservancy projects are major events that change living conditions and history. Hedi Reservoir is also an event of hard work and brilliant spiritual flowers. The third is that the Leizhou Youth Canal will be built in conjunction with the reservoir.It starts from Hediling in the north of Lianjiang City and goes southward.It is divided into five main roads, radiating to Leizhou Peninsula, forming the largest irrigation area in our province. The main canal starts from the lip of the river and goes southward. The main canal has a river bottom width of 30 meters, a water depth of 4 meters, and a flow rate of 110 cubic meters per second. It can drive two 40-ton motor ships in opposite directions, which is beneficial for shipping and power generation.The main canal is divided into five main canals, which are from east to west: Silian Canal, Donghai Canal, East Canal, West Canal, and Xihai Canal.The Silian Canal runs through the territory of Wuchuan County. It is also the longest among the five main canals, and finally flows into Zhanjiang Bay; the East China Sea Canal flows to the urban area of ​​Zhanjiang through Suixi River. It is responsible for the drinking water function of millions of Zhanjiang people. It is said that it is Zhanjiang The "lifeline" of the city is not too much; the East Canal and the West Canal flow in the hinterland of Haikang respectively, nourishing the past "thousands of miles in the red land"; It flows south side by side and flows into the Beibu Gulf in Anpu Town.It is like a wrist with 5 fingers, which are firmly pressed on the vast land of Leizhou Peninsula; it is also like an aorta, with several branch arteries, and more than 4,000 microvessels with a total length of 5,000 kilometers.【 Branch canals, branch canals, and hair canals are woven into a water network, covering the land of the irrigation district with a total area of ​​more than 8 million mu and a total population of more than 3 million people. This large water network continuously delivers water, oxygen, blood, and harvest information, wealth, and strength to the irrigation areas day and night. Our nation has a tradition of building canals. The most famous is the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which runs from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. It has a total length of 1,800 kilometers and connects the five major water systems of the Haihe River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River, and the Qiantang River. It was first dug in the Spring and Autumn Period. Succeeded in Sui and Yuan.It will be eulogized for thousands of years and praised by all ages.As for the Lingqu Canal called "Xianggui Canal" or "Xing'an Canal", it was a product of the Qin Dynasty.There were also many canals in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in ancient times. The one built in the Qin Dynasty was called "Qin Canal", which diverted the Yellow River water from Qingtongxia to irrigate Wuzhong County and Lingwu County; the one built in the Han Dynasty was called "Han Canal", which also diverted the Yellow River near Qingtongxia Water irrigation; the "Tang Canal" built in the Tang Dynasty was also diverted from the Yellow River for irrigation near Qingtongxia... However, how can the ancient times thousands of years ago compare with today's in terms of quantity and scale?In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were countless water conservancy projects invested by the state, such as Guanting Reservoir, Ming Tombs Reservoir, Xin'anjiang Reservoir, Meishan Reservoir, Foziling Reservoir, Hongyanchi Reservoir, Qingtong Gorge, Liujiaxia Water Conservancy Project, Pishihang Irrigation Area, Shaoshan Irrigation District, People's Victory Canal, Danjiangkou Water Conservancy Project... and now Hedi Reservoir and Leizhou Youth Canal have also entered this ranks, with extraordinary glory and dazzling brilliance. The water network woven by the Qingnian Canal has made the arid Leizhou Peninsula abandon suffering, poverty, and burnt yellow.The clear water flowing out of Hedi Reservoir is really prosperity, wealth, harmony and green.One painting reads: Who draws a picture?Surrounded by mountains and level paving. However, it is suspected that there are 36,000 hectares, and the scenery vaguely resembles Taihu Lake. Taihu Lake is 36,000 hectares, and the Taihu Lake Basin is a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. It is also a miracle on earth to turn the "thousands of miles from the red land" into a water town in the south of the Yangtze River after several years of struggle. There is also a poem praising the Youth Canal in Leizhou, simply called "Jiangnan is Good": "The canal is good, and Hedi is the source. The clear water is flowing long and gurgling, the life is green and lush, and there is no worry about drought. The canal is good, dedicated to the people.Fishing, animal husbandry and rural areas are all developed, watering and drinking are in demand, and five grains celebrate the harvest. The canal is good, and the environment is the quietest. Walking along the two banks for sightseeing, fishing in boats and swimming in the middle stream, tourists enjoy themselves leisurely. " However, such a great change in the world, in the world, in the mountains and rivers, where did the change come from? The selflessness, fearlessness and dedication of more than 300,000 workers from the Zhanjiang area. "Selflessness", "fearlessness" and "dedication" were the spiritual pillars of that era of burning passion. The predecessors planted trees and the descendants took advantage of the shade. They held high the spiritual brand of these six characters and worked hard for more than a year. People send clear water and happiness, and prepare the foundation for prosperity and development for future generations. Below we will tell some extraordinary stories of ordinary laborers, and the experiences of unknown people who can be passed down forever. On May 15, 1958, after the Zhanjiang Prefectural Committee made the decision to build the Leizhou Youth Canal, mobilization was carried out in various places, and the people who had been bullied by the drought for hundreds of years were elated.The liberation of the Leizhou Peninsula was the political liberation of the people of Leizhou, overthrowing the "three big mountains" on their heads; the construction of the Leizhou Youth Canal was regarded as a major event in the economic turnaround of the Leizhou Peninsula, so they spread the word and quickly set off support for the construction of the canal upsurge. Leibei County used to be the place where the drought was the worst. Many villages had to go dozens of miles away to pick up water.Many farmers wanted to escape, and no women came to marry, so Youlei sang: "If there is a woman, don't marry such and such a village. She can carry water as high as the sky. She can bear the iron pole and the cowhide shoulders." The draft is so difficult, and the difficulty of looking at the water from the farmland can be imagined.Did the emperors and bureaucrats of the past take care of this matter?No, they just extort money from farmers and plunder them ruthlessly.It is said that Su Dongpo was demoted to Danzhou, Hainan. When he passed by here, he could only sigh and shake his head, and looked sad at the people in the severe drought.Years of drought, wind, insects, and earthquakes have left people without any accumulation, no food for the house, and no clothes to keep out the cold.In the past few years after liberation, although life has improved, it still has not passed the threshold of food and clothing.Who wouldn't like hearing about building canals, rearranging mountains, rivers, and heaven, and saying goodbye to drought? Farmers in all counties and villages are vying to report and compete for the construction site. There are scenes of father and son walking together, husband and wife joining hands, a family going to battle, sisters walking side by side, and brothers joining hands. Xu Yi, a 73-year-old man, everyone calls him "Grandpa Xu Yi", also wanted to sign up. The leaders considered that he was too old to stay in the village. quota.At this time, a brick and tile factory wanted to hire him as a technician, with a salary of two yuan a day.Two yuan a day is 60 yuan a month.At that time, the average worker’s salary was only more than 20 yuan a month.But he was unmoved.He said: "I built the canal to save the whole township and village from the drought forever. How can I move my faith for two yuan?" After he arrived at the construction site, he worked hard and was hired as the captain of the youth commando .Later he was named a provincial model worker.In order to relieve the worries of many women, the old women in the village were moved and volunteered to set up a nursery on the construction site to take care of their children. Wu Yunying, a 14-year-old little girl, whose family was too poor to get enough food for export and had no bedding, borrowed some food and had to go to the construction site. She dismantled a door panel at home and used it as a bed, and carried it to the construction site. record. Although the countryside was still very poor at that time, people enthusiastically donated their little grain, the only pigs they had, and wood for building new houses in the future. On June 10, the project started, and people from all walks of life marched to their respective construction sites. More than 30 communes organized more than 30 "regiments", which were later renamed "brigades", and then renamed "columns". . What a team of more than 300,000 people!What a regiment! Back then, the government’s finances were still very difficult. The planned construction of one reservoir and one river was 150 million yuan, but only one-tenth of the 15 million yuan was actually allocated, and the rest was raised by the local government.Migrant workers have four "selfs" when they go to the construction site: bring their own food, bring their own tools, bring their own bedding, and raise their own funds.In today's commodity economy society, people may be puzzled and questioned. Instead of getting a penny of wages and subsidies for the labor force to go to the construction site, it is all borne by the migrant workers themselves, and the migrant workers are still working like that.Back then, the peasants were still very poor and had almost no family assets. They were so burdened that they did not call it "bitterness" or "no". They did their work wholeheartedly. In this world, this is very rare! ? The respectable and lovely people of Leizhou, in the stormy old society, they faced the evil forces of the old forces, raised the banner of righteousness, organized the South Road guerrillas, fought to the death, until the liberation army liberated the Leizhou Peninsula, they made a great contribution. They have made great contributions, contributed blood and lives, and they have not asked for anything. In March 1950, the People's Liberation Army liberated Hainan, wooden boats beat warships, and successfully crossed the Qiongzhou Strait. The people of Leizhou also provided great support with great enthusiasm. Thousands of boats and tens of thousands of former migrant workers, There are also no conditions or rewards.After a few years, they dispatched more than 300,000 people to the construction site, just like joining the South Road guerrillas and the Liberation Hainan Front Team, they are passionate, selfless, fearless, and do not bargain! For the respectable and lovely people of Leizhou, more than 300,000 pairs of footsteps stomped on the ground, and the slogans shook the clouds.Rocket Commando, Red Flag Commando, May 4th Commando, Communist Youth League Commando, Mu Guiying Commando, Iron Girl Commando, Xiang Xiuli Commando, Liu Hulan Commando, Xing Yanzi Commando, Red Child Commando...their The flag is flying on the main dam, auxiliary dam, main channel, large aqueduct and other construction sites.From a distance, the soil transport team looks like long swimming dragons. At night, the night lights are lit up one by one, the lights are like the Milky Way, and they are as beautiful as spring flowers. People who fight day and night are not afraid of the scorching heat in summer, the cold north wind in winter, wind and rain, and dangerous construction. After washing clothes, you are not afraid of frost, dew, and frost. Use the hills as a bed and grass as a mat, even if the north wind is cold, and use the sky as a mosquito net.” The Iron Ladies showed particularly outstanding heroism on the canal site.Before setting off to the construction site, some girls worry about carrying burdens and blasting stones, which will wear out the only good clothes on their bodies. You must know that poverty makes them love beauty but can’t afford good clothes. Where the better clothes were frayed, they were always carefully mended with a needle and thread.When they were in the countryside, where did they see blasting holes in mountains, blasting rocks, running with carts weighing hundreds of kilograms, and working as concrete workers at high altitudes when building sluices and aqueducts?Now, they are just like men, women do not give way to men.Most of them are girls in their 17s or 18s to their 20s.There is an auxiliary dam called "Sanba Dam", and they are all in charge of laying soil and ramming the foundation. It is this large group of more than 300,000 people who are changing the world, moving mountains and rivers, and singing triumphant songs. Among them, tens of thousands of model workers and more than 130 advanced collectives have emerged in more than a year of hard work. Some of them have been to Tiananmen Square to watch the ceremony, and attended national and provincial model worker conferences.And the prizes are just a fountain pen, a notebook, and a cultural shirt! Is the prize too meager?They don't care. They have infiltrated their will, ideals, character, blood and sweat into the land of Leizhou where they were born and raised, and they have set their example for future generations. "Because of the great ambition of sacrifice, dare to change the sun and the moon into a new sky."In this group of heroes, there are also people who have been buried on the construction site. They have integrated their lives forever into the evergreen cause of this Kuyihe River, and into the future harvest of the future generations of this Kuyihe River.There are more than 10 such heroes, all of whom are under 25 years old. They ended their life journey on the construction site. Leizhou people, Leizhou Dadi will not forget them, they are immortal. We know that any water conservancy project has the problems of upstream and downstream relationship, benefit and non-benefit relationship. After the Hedi Reservoir is completed, the downstream will benefit, but the upstream will not benefit, and a huge sacrifice will be made. After the reservoir is filled, Guangxi will be flooded. Lianjiang will drown five townships, that is, these townships will sink to the bottom of the lake.More than 80,000 mu of land will be submerged, and all of them are good land; 6,000 houses will be submerged, and more than 40,000 people will be relocated.The land that has been cultivated for generations, the ancestral house that has been lived in for generations, together with the century-old tree at the head of the village, the well-traveled thousand-year-old road, and the ponds and streams in front of and behind the village will all cease to exist.We know that in today's construction, whether it is building roads, water conservancy, or commercial buildings, the biggest headache is compensation for demolition. Some households are really stuck there like nails and refuse to loosen. However, the relocation of Hechi Reservoir was very smooth. Firstly, the political atmosphere of that era was strong, and secondly, the relocated households had a high level of self-awareness. When they said "the whole world is a family of farmers" and "I am for everyone, everyone is for me", a very moving scene appeared. He is a high-minded, high-spirited person who doesn't pay attention to conditions and doesn't talk about compensation.321 representatives of Qujiang Village, Shijiao Town, Lianjiang also jointly wrote a letter to the county party committee to support the relocation and make room for the reservoir.We all pay admiration today for their willingness to sacrifice. At that time, the productivity was still very low, and the construction site had just started, and people were still a kind of primitive labor using simple tools, and each person could only complete a few square meters of soil every day after being exhausted.The hoe hoeed the soil one by one, the shovel shoveled the soil one by one, and the pole carried the soil one load after another... Although the labor enthusiasm is high, the labor efficiency is low. A tabloid "Youth Canal" was published on the construction site, and nearly 200 issues of the newspaper were published in more than a year.The material conditions are very difficult, so the construction site office newspaper is often printed with one issue of mimeograph and the other with lead printing.From the difference in printing methods and the change of paper, we can see that the materials for running a newspaper are difficult.However, from the illegible paper, the sound of beating drums, shouting, Hong Zhong Da Lu, and the footsteps of more than 300,000 people can be heard. Hedi Reservoir and Leizhou Qingnian Canal started construction in June 1956 and were completed in January 1961. More than 300,000 migrant workers were dispatched, and more than 20,000 garrisons were invested. The famous Langya Mountain Five Heroes Company, Dadu River Even, they have created new glories in the battle. A total of 78.8 million working days have been invested in this huge water conservancy project, and 65.8 million cubic meters of earthwork and 870,000 cubic meters of stonework have been completed. If these earthworks are built into a road with a width of 1 meter and a thickness of 10 centimeters, it can circle the earth 16.6 times.The "artificial sea" Hedi Reservoir with a water storage of more than 1.1 billion cubic meters and an area of ​​more than 120 square kilometers has been built. The main canal of the Leizhou Qingnian Canal, a total of 270 kilometers of five main canals, and more than 4,000 branch canals and canals with a length of 5,000 kilometers have been built. , A water network has been formed on the Leizhou Peninsula, which has saved more than 2.2 million lands from drought, and is full of greenery, melons and fruits are fragrant, rice is like a blanket, and sugarcane is like a wall. The Leizhou Peninsula is not green during the severe drought, but the green is particularly deep after having water.In the past, once a car passed by, the red dust raised was like sand in the desert, fluttering and lasting for a long time.Now in the sea of ​​verdant green, people forget that there is red land under their feet.Those windowless cottages surrounded by bougainvillea and wild pineapples have long since disappeared, replaced by small western-style buildings.The people who fought fiercely on the construction site are now old, but their descendants are enjoying their shade. Leizhou Youth Canal has become the golden business card of Leizhou Peninsula. It is listed as one of the famous water conservancy projects in the country, and its reputation spreads far and wide. Its role in the industrial and agricultural production and people's life in Zhanjiang area is too great, unprecedented.It has attracted the attention of the people of the whole country, as well as the attention of the country's leaders.According to incomplete statistics, in the six years from its establishment to before the "Cultural Revolution", 36 cadres above the central and ministerial level visited here in person; over the past 50 years, more than 200 central, provincial and ministerial cadres and generals have inspected here. In December 1958, Premier Zhou Enlai signed the "Certificate of Commendation from the State Council", which was "awarded to the Leizhou Youth Canal Project in Guangdong Province, an advanced unit in the construction of agricultural socialism", with the solemn national emblem of gold and red printed on it. On February 10, 1960, he could not let go of the subtropical land in the south. He went to Zhanjiang for inspection. He really wanted to visit the newly completed Leizhou Qingnian Canal in person. Because of the busy state affairs, he could not make the trip, but he still ordered his special plane to idle on the canal when he left. In a circle, overlooking the newly painted blue "man-made sea" of Hedi on the ground, as well as the blue straight canals, aqueducts, and cobweb-like branch canals, he was very excited and relieved.This means that the Leizhou Peninsula will bid farewell to the drought, the "nine out of ten years", and the history of ragged clothes and starvation.As the prime minister of a country, he also lacks a heart problem. A few days later, Deng Xiaoping, then general secretary, visited the Youth Canal in Leizhou. In March, the weather is still warm and cold, but spring is here, and the land is releasing heat and power to the outside. Millions of acres of land in Leizhou Peninsula are eager to try, and the spring plowing is busy. They can hear the torrential water of the canal, Whispers, they are brewing for an unprecedented harvest year.Deng Xiaoping walked and watched all the way, with a smile on his face, his conversation full of comfort, and his steps were easy and fast, showing his inherent wisdom, clarity, firmness and foresight.The cadres and the masses gave him warm applause and full trust.He wrote many inscriptions in his life, but he never wrote an inscription for a water conservancy project. This time he happily wrote the words "Leizhou Youth Canal", which was his only inscription for a water conservancy project.What he loves, what he loves, and what he loves, these words are also written smartly, freely, and firmly. These words have been at the head of the Qingnian Canal for decades, accompanied by the sound of gurgling water, Accompanied by emerald green color, accompanied by harvest hope. In February 1963, Marshal Chen Yi, who traveled all over the middle of the Luoxiao Mountains, the three-year guerrilla war in southern Jiangxi, and the liberation battlefields in Central China and Shandong, also visited the Lianhedi Reservoir of the Lianjiang River in early spring. He came with his wife Zhang Qian.His footsteps made the ground here "bang bang", and the sound of footsteps and his thick voice awakened something in this early spring weather.Looking at the banks of the reservoir and the canal from a distance, the sparse peaches and apricots are blooming pink and red flowers, which are dazzling.At this time, as Bao Zhao, a poet of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, said: "The mountains are luxuriant in spring, and the sun is bright in spring. The birds in the garden are full of joy. The plums begin to bloom, and the willows begin to green." Two araucaria trees.At that time, the saplings were very young. Today, 40 years later, the two trees have grown as high as a three-story building. There is an endless stream of tourists who visit and take pictures to commemorate them, and call them "Marshal Cedar". Marshal Chen Yi also left a poem - "Man Jianghong Leizhou Peninsula": Zhanjiang, the seaport, is hardworking day and night.Look at the throughput, come and go between you and me, Europe, America and Asia.The man-made Tianhe is used for irrigation, and the long dikes block the sea and salt flats.看今朝合浦果珠还，直无价。冬尤暖，秋如夏；凉风动，炎气化。计经年二万，火山爆炸。留得湖光呈碧绿，闻名我亦来言驾。再十年人物与江山，难描画。 1964年2月，国家副主席董必武视察后写下了一首诗——《鹤地水库题》： 1961年2月，人大副委员长、诗人、史学家、文学家、大名鼎鼎的郭沫若也来到雷州青年运河视察，有如火诗情的他也欣然命笔，留诗一首，墨迹更是龙飞凤舞。He wrote: 中央领导朱德、叶剑英、贺龙、彭真、王震、陶铸等，都到过工地视察、指导。朱德元帅来时，已届80高龄，仍然兴致勃发，拄杖登高，登上了30米高程的东海大渡槽，遥看奔流的干流。大渡槽位于东海河遂溪新桥段的主干渠上，因为这里地势低洼，渠道通过时修了高30米、桥墩80个、总长1200米的渡槽，渡槽里可以并行两艘40吨的船只，这个渡槽是运河上14座渡槽中最雄伟最长大的一座。朱德元帅且行且看，这空中河道的规模、气势，在当时是很罕见的。朱德元帅一生戎马，看见过排山倒海的场面，而此时他也沉吟感动，为雷州人民的劳动成果而骄傲。 世人都把养育自己国家和自己的大江大河叫做“母亲河”，长江、黄河、珠江都当得起一声“母亲河”叫声。而雷州人民也把雷州青年运河叫成“母亲河”了，因为它甘甜的乳汁，已经养育雷州的三代人了，上至白头耄耋，下至垂髫黄发，谁的身体里、血液里不富含着运河之水？ 运河建成的近半个世纪以来，它确实带来了无比的变化。 水，不但给自然生态带来巨变，也给社会生态带来巨变。 一代人一代人为水发愁，连姑娘找婆家也要看看你家水缸里有没水、村子周围有没有水源。下田仔村有一首民谣：“有女不嫁水田仔，年年苦旱产量低，日夜车水不能睡，双脚踩肿眼熬红。”下田仔村不是个案，雷州有许许多多村子都如此。遂溪城月镇石头塘村，也是因为缺水，青年无法成家。可是，运河之水流到这些村子后，姑娘随水而来，1960年到1963年这3年里，结婚的青年总数相当于这之前20年的总数。 雷州附城下河村、雨田村，别看村名中有“河”字、“雨”字，实在缺水成灾，人们四处逃荒，家破人亡。郭荣习一家12口，就饿死了11人。有了运河水来，连年有了好收成，吃救济粮的村子变成了卖余粮的村子。通水当年，下河村就卖了75万公斤余粮。 雷州特侣塘的塘上村、塘下村，从宋朝建村到新中国建立前，为了争水，经常械斗。旧社会时，雷州的械斗是出名的，动不动操起棍棒、家伙殴斗，数十人数百人纠缠一起，往往流血死人，都像斗红眼的公鸡。塘上村和塘下村就这样械斗了800余年，这村与那村互视对方为不共戴天的仇人，鸡犬相闻老死不相往来，互不通婚。据民国三四十年里的统计，因水械斗双方共死61人，因此特侣塘被称“血泪塘”。都为了争水啊，为了争生存空间啊！而更多的人们把希望寄托给神灵龙王，建庙祭神，求天赐雨，跪破双膝，唯恐不够虔诚。但是世代的苦旱不因为械斗和求神，而能稍稍减轻。只有这运河之水流来，才消弭了上千年的冤仇，消弭了求神拜佛的愚昧。水流来了亲情，水送来了文明。运河通水之后的岁月里，像塘上村和塘下村这样的世仇村，在各方面做了工作后，团结友好了，爱情也萌生了，互不通婚也成为了历史。 过去盛行的拜天求雨现象几十年来已经绝迹，文明战胜了愚昧，科学战胜了神棍。 水的到来，几十年已经再造了雷州半岛，作为中国第二大灌区的青年运河灌区，使鹤地水库以南到徐闻县以北的广大地区、几百万亩土地、几百万人口，都有了自流供水，“赤地千里”，“荒凉不毛”，进入了历史档案，鱼、粮、果、蔗、菜之乡，成了今日的写照。 19世纪70年代后，在洋务派举办近代民用企业的同时，商办的近代工业也开始出现，1872年南洋华侨商人陈启源在南海开办蒸冷缫丝厂、美国华侨商人陈宜禧于1906年筹建新宁【今台山】铁路，等等。在徐闻也最早有了华侨商人设立的机器榨糖厂，白糖代替了土法的红糖。甘蔗一向是这里的产品，但是因为干旱，常常长得犹如茅草，亩产只有1.2吨。运河通水后甘蔗满山遍野，长得犹如一道道绿色高墙，亩产大都在10吨以上，现代化糖厂每隔若干公里就设立一座。《南方日报》曾在头版发表过《遂溪，中国第一甜县》的文章。这里是全国四大蔗糖产区之一。 红橙之乡——廉江。红橙是这里的、名闻遐迩的特产，一般柑橙瓤肉是黄色的，唯独红橙瓤是红色的，行销国内外，被视为喜庆之色，口感也极好。这个品种也是后来产生的。 鹤地水库以及运河上结瓜式的几十座小水库，是渔业生产基地。鹤地水库120多平方公里的水面，有放流养殖，也有网箱养殖。水库建立后这几十年，常常能捕获上百斤重的鲢鳙。 雷州半岛现在已是林业基地和商品粮基地，林木蔚为深秀，绿走百里，粮田也阡陌连绵，水雾蒸腾。这里的平坦地势，火山灰的地质，都有利于粮食种植，只是有了水，才闪现出繁茂的面容。 雷州半岛属亚热带气候，蔬果品种极为丰富，这里有南菜北运的基地，有一望无际的“菠萝的海”，有木瓜、荔枝、龙眼、洋桃、树菠萝、火龙果……亚热带的高效绿色农业在此乐生乐长，大面积的种植区平展展地伸到远处地平线上。 这里还是亚洲最大的剑麻生产基地，过去野地里也有野生的剑麻，因为营养不良，不为人重视，叶片很小。如今剑麻的叶片有一人高，真像无数把剑指向天空。 基于农业生产的加工企业早早地就发展了，糖业、纺织业、水产品加工业，都享有盛名。如今特大的炼油企业、钢铁工业也来落户。运河之水不但养育了碧绿的农业，也在支撑世界规模世界水平的现代大工业。工业也是要喝水的，有了水，这些大工业才能站稳脚跟。 雷州独特的自然风光，吸引了“北影”、“八一”、“珠江”等电影制片企业在此大展身手，影片《大清炮队》《两栖英雄》《向阳院的故事》等等，都在这里拍摄外景。观众如果看过这些片子，那旖旎的景色就是雷州。 有一首《雷州今昔》的诗录在下面： 雷州青年运河的建设，不但是物质的建设，同时也是精神的建设。上世纪80年代的那种争上工地、艰苦奋斗、团结协作、无私奉献的如火如荼，现在还是上了年纪的人们津津乐道的话题、不能磨灭的记忆。这种创世纪的无私精神，以及运河开通后，各方面呈现出的巨变，都在说明没有艰苦奋斗就没有运河，没有运河就没有雷州半岛的今天。从中可以让青年人真正体会到历史的真谛。 因为风景的优美，鹤地水库早成为旅游去处，游人如织。 鹤地水库、雷州青年运河从开通到今已运行了半个世纪，已经创造了巨大的物质财富和精神财富。 如今摆在管理者面前的任务是改造和提升。 半个世纪前建造运河，由于年代局限，更多地看到的是农业用水和湛江市城市人口用水，东海河主干渠直通湛江市区。那时的湛江海风轻吹，柳树摇曳，没有什么工业，更像是一个休闲静居的小城。半个世纪之后的今日湛江的发展，已不能同日而语。今日湛江高楼摩天，阔路四通，面积和人口几倍地扩展，东海河的供水量也飞速增长，渠道、调节闸、沿河建筑物已呈苍老、衰微之势。 湛江是全国最早的14个沿海开发城市之一，改革开放以来，横向比较，它的发展速度是低于全省平均水平的。珠三角的崛起，广西北部湾经济开发区的强势，给了湛江很大的压力。它发展速度迟缓的主因，是缺少现代大工业的支撑，缺乏强大的工业载体。 现在不同了。 短短的一年多时间里，两个“巨无霸”宣布在湛江的东海岛上落户，建设的两个超大型项目是：一个是宝山钢铁公司的千万吨级的钢铁项目，地处南海沿岸的湛江，会给钢铁项目十分便利的海上交通通道，应当说是理想选址；一个是中科1500万吨的炼油项目，也是十分顺畅的。过去属不毛之地的东海岛，与湛江市区只隔一泓海水、一箭之遥，同时接纳两个超大型工业项目，都是突破传统模式、实行生态建园的项目。这将把湛江的GDP提高一倍，等于再造一个湛江。两大项目光吸纳当地劳动力，就可达3万以上。 日益大发展的工业用水，与日俱增的城市人口生活用水，就会与运河供水形成矛盾。 至于深入农区灌网的干渠、分渠、毛渠，运行50年后，也出现了许多问题。 当年是在物质条件十分困难的情况下建设的工程，修建手段又是十分简陋、原始的。所有渠道都是土坝土堤，年久之后，风吹雨打，人为损坏，许多渠底淤泥厚积，有的渠道原本闸口放水一小时后就有水来，现在7小时后才见水来，充分说明渠道淤塞严重；河堤都是叠土而筑，渗漏现象也很严重，有些地方河堤两旁积水内涝，无法种植；加上当年的标准不高，沿河的灌溉建筑物老化，石砌的渡槽护坡、闸口护坡，崩塌严重。渠道渗漏、淤积，水利建筑物的老化等等，使得有些地方水量损失70%，失灌面积几十万亩。 改造渠道的工作一直在做，水利部、省政府、市政府投入的治理资金逐年加大。由于运河对雷州半岛的发展太重要了，从中央到湛江市，各级政府都给予大力的支持，要多重视就多重视。 2007年12月22日，中共中央政治局委员、广东省委书记汪洋，视察了最西边的西海河主干渠的合浦桥段工程，作了“要从战略和全局高度，研究解决淡水对湛江经济社会发展的制约问题”的谈话。这个谈话高屋建瓴地指出了问题的核心。雷州半岛几面都是海，海水很多，但淡水贵如油，淡水对于湛江，比许多其他地方更为重要，更为宝贵。现在，中东有些国家，水就是贵过油。人们那种轻视水、低估水的观念，要破一破了。 1958年修建水库是土法上马，没有大型机械，只用手挖肩挑，巍巍然的土坝从开始时的“边设计边施工”起，就有一定的隐患，直到目前，全国第一批35个大型“病险水库”中，它是唯一一个没有“摘帽”者，它在长期带病运营。所以蓄水高程设计是40米多，为了安全，目前汛期限制水位只有39米多，减少了一米多。120多平方公里的水面，水位下降一米多，也就少蓄了一亿多立方米的水量。 时代不同了，半个世纪前，激情燃烧的年代，迁村、让地、搬家只是一声令下的问题，农民们无不拥护；21世纪的当今，市场经济，让地就是十分困难的问题，当然经过动员说服，是可以办成的，但是补偿就是巨大的财政负担。 为了水，为了恢复库容，都是要克服困难的。 还有一个办法是改造合流水库。合流水库是雷州青年运河结瓜式的蓄水池，在湛江市区之西。 当初，怎么就没有考虑到湛江市区要大发展、城市人口会大增加、工业会如雨后的春笋呢？当初只看到湛江那么瘦小、那么贫弱、那么荒野！ 人不可貌相，城市也是不可貌相的啊！ 三十年河东三十年河西，三十年都可以大换位，半个世纪或者更长时间就不会发生巨变吗？ 小农思想无形无影中影响了思考，把合流水库搞小了。 其实当初只要把坝基移出800米，不用迁村移民，只多淹几十亩耕地，因为那里是山沟沟，成本增加不多，那么合流水库蓄水可以由现在的300多万立方米，多增加600万立方米，而达到近千万立方米。增加那么多水，可以让湛江市区喝足喝够了，可以让它的大工业项目不用为用水斤斤计较了。 时过50年，现在需要重新捡回当初未实施的方案，在800米外重新筑坝，以扩大合流水库库容。 水，许多城市，许多地方，在为它伤脑筋，而湛江伤的脑筋要更多更大一些。 管理层在日夜思谋着，为今天计算，更为明天计算。开源节流，人间正道。 鹤地水库、雷州青年运河，50年后，正在上新规模、新水平、新任务！ 雷州半岛正以崭新面貌向未来招手。 【沈仁康：曾任广东文学院副院长】