Chinese President Xi Jinping has concluded his visit to north China's Hebei Province. On the second day of his inspection tour, he visited Chengde City. In the city's suburbs, he also went to Daguikou Village, a model of how rural revitalization aids villages in the country.

Daguikou has been thriving by growing fruits like strawberries, grapes and cherries. These high value-added products are grown in nearly 300 greenhouses. 

Initially, fruits were not the primary choice. Villagers tried growing rice, corn and vegetables. Due to such factors as lack of water resources, the crop yield was low and not profitable. They eventually switched to fruit growing. 

Today, growing strawberries has become the main business for 1,700 residents of the village and each household can make around 100,000 yuan (about $15,450) a year. 

Beside growing fruit, the villagers are also involved in tourism. This village is surrounded by natural scenery. But the question is how to make more out of it? One company got involved and made all the difference. 

Hebei Construction and Investment Group started developing the area to boost tourism. It invested about $400 million in the Lianhua Mountain project. After four years of construction, this place now combines leisure, exercise and cultural exchange. And it's generating income.

China has always viewed rural vitalization as one of the keys to developing a modern economy. And it goes without saying that you need a clear strategy to close the gap between urban and rural development. This village has shown how local government is using the land and industry to establish a clear pattern. As a result, the average disposable income grew by 10 percent in 2020 compared to 2016. 

During his visit, President Xi also toured the Binhe community service center. It was built in 2018 to meet the needs of the elderly. The center's information platform has collected and integrated all elderly people's information so as to provide, once noticed, such tailored services as home service, food or medical assistance. And it is done as soon as possible by volunteers. 

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Xu Jiajie is the head the neighborhood committee at this community. She told CGTN that the idea of this platform is to provide timely and accurate services. "For example, if there is an emergency, we can immediately arrange doctors for the elderly. And everything about the patient will appear on our screen, including his or her medication, living habits and medical history. This will save the patient tremendous time," said Xu. 

Apart from these services, the center also makes modification to the residents' household essentials. 

For example, it modifies facilities by installing hand rails to the toilet and providing special wheelchairs, to make life easier for the seniors.

President Xi has said that China's aging population is one of the key issues that have the central government's attention, and that seniors enjoying a happier life is key to the overall quality of life for the Chinese people.   

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects the Saihanba forest farm during a tour inspection of Chengde City, Hebei Province, north China, August 23, 2021. /Xinhua)