Yuying Village used to be covered in pure darkness when night fell. The small village in north China's Hebei Province had no street lights, and was among the 83 poorest villages in the county. 

Lacking natural resources and slow in industry, more than 80 percent of the villagers relied on traditional farming of corn and wheat. In 2014, 93 households and 297 villagers were still under the poverty line, earning less than 2,800 yuan (405 U.S. dollars) annually.

In 2015, China launched a campaign to erase poverty across the country, which has brought dramatic changes to many villages, including Yuying.