Chixi village, Fujian rises from poverty

People living in Chixi village, a formerly poverty-stricken village in Ningde city, East China's Fujian province, have now emerged from poverty due to a series of policies and other efforts by the local government, according to a local media report on July 10.

Chixi is inhabited by people of the She ethnic group and is located deep in the mountains of eastern Fujian. People living here suffered from extreme poverty 30 years ago, but the village was revitalized through the promotion of industries such as tourism and tea.

The village's per capita net income rose from 166 yuan ($23.7) in 1984 to 22,698 yuan in 2019, and the village's collective income has reached 1.3 million yuan.

In 1994, the local government launched its rural reconstruction and upgrading projects. All of Chixi's 280 households were resettled into larger and more spacious houses.

In 2015, a tourism highway connecting three tourist attractions opened, helping promote the development of tourism and boosting the local economy.

In addition, the government carried out a renovation project aimed at improving the village's living environment. It also explored ways to increase tourism, which has led to a surge in the development of local agriculture.

In 2018, Chixi village was listed as a pilot area for complete rural reform, and was designated as a national forest village last year.

The village is striving to develop unique industries and attract more tourists by taking advantage of its rich natural resources. Statistics show that Chixi received 270,000 visitors and earned more than 21.6 million yuan in tourism-related revenue last year.