Behind the story – how a dilapidated village became a template for agricultural development

Staying true to the commitment

 A few miles away from the Lanling county seat, there s a placard alongside thecountryroad, whichreads “Remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind”. [Photo by Zhang Weilan]

Located in the hinterland of south Shandong province, Lanling is where the “Yimeng Spirit” originated, espousing hard work, dedication and unremitting self-improvement. For many years, people in Lanling have kept to the forefront the goal of improving their lives by promoting economic growth and finally realizing a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.

Speaking of the future blue print of his village, Wang had a lot more to say. “The modernization of Lanling’s agriculture is now at a stage to go upward to a higher level,which means we are now focusing on a more eco-friendly and green development. For example, Dai village has established a cold chain logistics facility to boost its farming business,” he said.

According to Wang, the village's agricultural products are sorted, packaged, processed and transported to cities like Shanghai and Beijing by the village's 5,000 trucks. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of the products are currently sold through e-commerce.

“In the coming ten years, we will spare no efforts to build a garden city, a city underpinned by a modern agricultural industry, and we will cultivate a talent pool for our own development as well as for our neighbors,” Wang said.