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May 27, 2019

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From organics to tourism, rural life is improving

China’s rural revitalization strategy is helping revamp the countryside.

For decades, fruit and vegetables from the village of Gunan used to be sold within its vicinity in Yichun City, east China’s Jiangxi Province.

But in recent years, organic produce from Gunan has found its way onto the shelves of chain supermarkets in the provincial capital Nanchang, where it is wildly popular.

“We have set up 10 chain supermarkets in Nanchang and in Gaohu Township (which administers Gunan), and we provide more than 30 job positions in the markets,” said village official Zhong Yinghua.

“About one-third of our employees are from cities and townships.”

Meanwhile, rural tourism is booming thanks to pleasant scenery and local delicacies.

In Jiangxi’s Wentang Township, for example, villagers used to make little more than 1,000 yuan (US$145) per capita on average annually. In the past three years, locals have rented their houses as family inns, which can generate annual revenue of up to 40,000 yuan a year.

Amid the tourism boom, authorities in Jiangxi have issued a notice to continue efforts to transform about 20,000 rural villages.

Each village will receive a subsidy of 300,000 yuan to boost local development. Government funds will be allocated to build roads, renovate toilets and houses, and beautify villages by planting more trees, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Rural revitalization is also bringing back migrant workers.

“More state-owned and private enterprises are coming to the countryside, which has brought good investment and improved industrial chains including production, logistics and sales in rural areas,” said Xu Wenqin, an agriculture official in Jiangxi’s Fuzhou City. “The situation has made locals more willing to stay than go.”

In addition, the 4G network and faster logistics have allowed many farmers to enter e-commerce.

In the remote Shuangxi Village of Wanzai County, 220 out of 3,200 local residents have engaged in e-commerce, selling agricultural products worth 20 million yuan.




 

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