Poverty relief solutions improve people's living conditions in Nanpingtouwu Village

Guo Xuejiao examines a production line at a cooperative that makes handicraft goods in Nanpingtouwu Village of Huguan County, north China's Shanxi Province, April 21, 2020. Guo Xuejiao can still remember what life was like in her hometown Nanpingtouwu, a village in north China's Taihang mountain region. Residents had scraped a living due to underdeveloped infrastructure, limited natural resources and low productivity. "Many villagers were too poor to hold a decent wedding," Guo recalls. "And a lot of them worked away from home and didn't want to come back." Things began to change when targeted and precise poverty relief solutions were applied here: cash crops and herbs for traditional Chinese medicine have been planted, and local handicrafts have been turned into products. Since 2016, the village started to seek development in geo-tourism, taking advantage of the scenery of the nearby Taihang mountain valleys. Its colour-painted houses have also become a new attraction for tourists looking for an artistic tinge. Once a poor villager, Guo Xuejiao now works for many of Nanpingtouwu's new industries. At every mention of the changes taking place in the village, pride appears on her face. "We have even become the envy of many tourists," says Guo. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)