China Reform and Opening Up: Campaign underway to improve rural living environment

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02:17

Coordinating the imbalanced development of urban and rural areas has always been an important task for the Chinese leadership. A campaign aiming to improve rural living environment has been ongoing for more than a decade. CGTN's Xu Mengqi reports from Central China's Henan province.

Uniform-looking country houses in a remote mountainous area tell just part of the story of a changing rural China. The people living here were all relocated from nearby villages in decline.

LI HAISHAN FORMER YINGSIGOU VILLAGER "I moved here in 2007. Basically, there is no need to go back. Our farmland was converted to forest, and I get a pretty decent subsidy."

XU MENGQI HENAN PROVINCE "In many of China's mountain villages, the often barren land can only generate meager income for farmers. As a result, young people have all left and a lot of the villages have become quite desolate."

One of the government's solutions has been to relocate those living in impoverished regions and build new communities for them, with supporting facilities and sometimes job opportunities, too.

RONG GAIQIN FORMER SHIYUAN VILLAGER "Here it's more convenient. In the old village, there weren't any schools and our kids couldn't go to school."

There are also more organic ways to revitalize rural areas. Xugou village was in dire need of a transformation after its two coal mines shut down.

ZHENG QIU'AN XUGOU VILLAGER "Our village used to be all black. There was coal piled everywhere."

A special fund from the central government made a makeover possible.

ZHENG QIKUI XUGOU VILLAGER "Now we have asphalt roads and road lamps. Living in this village my mood is much brighter. It's just like living in the city."

LI CHUNLIN, PARTY SECRETARY JINSHAN COMMUNITY OFFICE, QIBIN DISTRICT, HEBI CITY "Besides a nice natural environment, Xugou is also featured in one of China's most well-known folk stories. These are the advantages that we can use to develop countryside tourism and cultural tourism."

Whether it's relocation, or tourism development, the campaign in the countryside will likely continue for years to come, as China's top leaders have pledged to wipe out poverty and improve the rural living environment. XMQ, CGTN, Hebi, Henan province.