Courage & Determination: Isolated villagers build link to outside world
Updated 18:41, 18-Sep-2019
The Chinese county of Wuxi is where you'll find picturesque beauty like China's Grand Canyon. But behind the scenery, many people in different villages are still trying to get out of poverty. One small village there got to work in a seemingly impossible way. CGTN's Yang Jinghao shows the unwavering spirit of how "if you build it, they will come."
69-year-old Yang Zhihan and his fellow villagers are working against time to construct a series of tourist facilities, including a sightseeing platform, parking lot and a public toilet to meet the upcoming autumn peak season. Tourism, in fact, they could not have imagined years ago, before they constructed a road with their bare hands. For generations, people in this small village of Wuxi County were isolated from the outside world by massive mountains.
YANG ZHIHAN LOCAL VILLAGER "Before the road was built, if we wanted to sell our farm produce in the city, we had to walk for two days carrying it on back. Our shoulders would have abrasions. In the summer, the towels we brought along would be soaked with sweat. Then we were determined to build a road to spare our kids from such suffering."
Digging out a road on sheer cliffs was considered mission impossible. But for the villagers, they just decided to risk it all. A total of 14 people, no elderly or children, started the arduous journey in August 2001, treating the construction site as a battleground.
YANG ZHIHAN LOCAL VILLAGER "We knew how dangerous it was, and our lives would be threatened. But to us, even if we died during the construction, it was still worth it!"
The challenges were diverse and steep. Farming was no longer their priority. They didn't care about what could be gotten for food as long as they were not starving. Without expertise or professional equipment, each step was just like treading on thin ice, such as when using explosives.
YANG ZHIHAN LOCAL VILLAGER "Once I lit 13 sets of explosives. Then I hurried to climb up along the rope that tied me as fast as I could. They began to explode before I reached a safe shelter, and I could only hide my head in a cave on the cliff, leaving my butt unprotected."
After more than four years of hard work, the 1.2-kilometer-long road was finally finished, stunning all outsiders, including local officials. Looking back, Yang still feels excited and proud. Yet bitterness still lingers.
YANG ZHIHAN LOCAL VILLAGER "Back then, we still faced financial difficulties. So we worked during the day and tried to borrow money from relatives and friends after work. If it didn't work, then we had to turn to banks for loans."
For many people, the road is a miracle. But for Yang and his fellow villagers, it is the culmination of belief, unity, and hope. YJH, CGTN, Wuxi County in Chongqing.