Cooperative work

"But now, they don't have to worry about problems like medical treatment. Also the traffic is better now," says Mao.

It was hard to persuade some of the villagers to leave their old homes at first, he adds.

"But they were happy to move in after we organized tours for them to see the new houses and especially the lives of those who had moved in earlier," he says. "We also promised them supportive policies."

According to Mao, the township has so far received more than 40 million yuan for poverty alleviation from the central government.

The local government has also made efforts to help the villagers further. It has negotiated with some State-owned enterprises in the area to allow villagers to rent arable land from the enterprises with subsidies provided by the local government. The land is now collectively managed by a village cooperative.

Contact the writer at liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn