Located in the Taihang Mountain area, Dananpo had prospered in the past from its coal mines and other mineral extraction. But the mines had been shut down and people gradually deserted the village. Things got so bad that it was eventually labeled poverty-stricken by the province.
To follow the aesthetic path of rural revitalization, Dananpo converted an office building constructed in 1976 into a cultural center. The vacant hall and school are expected to be transformed into guesthouses, a cafeteria and a theater.
Guo said there is undoubtedly great potential for high-quality development in Xiuwu county, which now boasts 76 major aesthetic projects similar to the one in Dananpo.