Six deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) from various walks of life shared stories about their work during the first group interview before the opening of the first session of the 14th NPC on Sunday.

Shui Qingxia, head coach of Chinese women's football team, was the first among them to answer questions.

"The Chinese women's football team are called 'Steel Roses,' as they embody the spirit of unity and cooperation, striving hard for goals and never giving up. Such a spirit can actually be found in all walks of life, which motivates us to build China into a stronger country," she said.

As the head coach, Shui guided Chinese women's football team to win their first Asian Cup in 16 years in 2022.

As a member of the golden generation of the Chinese women's football team back in the 1990s, Shui and her teammates won the silver medals at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, the best results achieved by the Chinese football team in Olympics.

Recalling those glorious moments, she said the Chinese women's football team will carry on the same spirit.

"For me, I persist in my career because of passion, and always seek progress in persistence," she said.  

Number of Pandas in Chengdu base increases 12-fold 

The number of pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province has increased by 12 times in the past 30 years, said Hou Rong, deputy director of the research base and an NPC deputy.

Affectionately named the "guardian of pandas," Hou said that in 1994, there were only 18 pandas at the research base, but the number has increased to 237 as of the end of 2022.

"Our ultimate goal is to help the pandas return to nature, where they can forever survive and reproduce," she said.

"During my work, I have a deep understanding of how important the protection and management of wild animal genetic resources and disease prevention and control are to the protection of wild animals," she said, adding that in the past, China lacked relevant legal provisions in that domain.

Therefore, as an NPC deputy, Hou submitted three motions for revising the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife and one for revising the Law of the People's Republic of China on Animal Epidemic Prevention.

Hou said her suggestions have been absorbed to varying degrees in the revisions of the two laws, which makes her very pleased. 

'Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets'

Another NPC deputy, Wang Yucheng, the Party chief of Yucun Village in Anji County, east China's Zhejiang Province, shared how his village has transformed from a polluted mining village to a sought-after tourist destination due to its natural beauty.

On August 15, 2005, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the vision that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" in Yucun. Guided by the vision, the village remapped its development path, greatly improved the environment and developed the tourism industry.

"In 2022, the collective economy of the village reached 13.05 million yuan (about $1.89 million), and the per capita income of villagers reached 64,863 yuan," Wang said.