Yuexi County is one of the last seven counties in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province to get out of poverty. 

The green eggs produced in Aerxia Village in the county are known far and wide. The high altitude and ample water make the village a perfect place to raise chicks. 

Mukuerbu, 23, is busy collecting eggs. He is one of the low income residents under a poverty relief project. He started working at the Lvyuan chicken farm two years ago. 

He learned to take care of these chicks through online and offline training. The experts taught him how to detect early signs of chicks' disease by listening to their crow and observing their dung.

The number of chicks at the farm has grown from over 200 to 6,000 now. Every day, the hens can lay around 2,000 eggs, which provide an income for the young man. 

Now, the green eggs here need a "green food" certificate to be sold in supermarkets. The local government is working on the certification. 

So far, 193 villages and over 70,000 people have been lifted out of poverty in Yuexi County. In 2020, there will be another 11 poverty-stricken villages and 8,988 people getting out of poverty.

Go green and live rich

Ecological poverty alleviation is a poverty reduction model that combines ecological protection with poverty alleviation. Some areas suffer from poverty due to its harsh natural environment, while some lack of sustainable and scientific use of natural resources. Through participation in ecological protection and development of ecological industries, villagers can be lifted out of poverty while protecting Mother Nature. This series not only uncovers the stories behind China's poverty alleviation policy, but also displays a portrait of ordinary people.

For more: 

Reclusive ethnic villagers lifted out of poverty by protecting nature

(Cover image designed by CGTN's Liu Shaozhen. Video edited by Zhao Ying.)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)