China's iconic revolutionary base Yan'an casts off poverty

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Yan'an, a former revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is no longer labeled "poor," as its last two impoverished counties have shrugged off poverty, the government of northwest China's Shaanxi Province announced Tuesday.

Yan'an hosted the then headquarters of the CPC and the center of the Communist revolution from 1935 to 1948. The city is now home to more than 350 sites related to the Chinese revolution.

An investment of 6.25 billion yuan (920 million U.S. dollars) from the central and local governments has been poured into Yan'an over the past four years.

To make sure that every household could get rid of poverty, the city has sent a total of 1,784 Party chiefs, 1,546 working teams and 37,400 cadres to live in the villages to help with poverty alleviation.

The cradle of the revolution has continued to undergo tremendous changes over the past decades. Improved environment and infrastructure, booming agricultural economy, increasingly affordable education, healthcare, and multiple career choices for rural residents have rejuvenated the city.

China lifted 13.86 million people in rural areas out of poverty last year and aims to lift no less than ten million people out of poverty in 2019.

The country has pledged to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020, the target year to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

(Cover: Children attend an outdoor sketching session at the Nanmen square near the Baota Mountain scenic area in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 21, 2019. /Xinhua Photo)

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency