Farming shakeup is magnet for migrants

Village sees influx of workers after Party chief's reforms boost incomes

Most villages in rural China have experienced an exodus of young people over the past two decades - but Daicun in Linyi, Shandong province, has seen an influx of migrants keen to benefit from its development.

"As Daicun gets richer and the lives of residents have improve, the village is becoming an increasingly attractive place to live," said Wang Chuanxi, the village Party chief, who locals say is the prime mover behind the phenomenon.

Before being elected Party chief in 1999, Wang was a project manager at a construction company in nearby Lanling county.

He said his wife strongly opposed his decision to quit his previous job - which paid him a salary of 500,000 yuan ($77,700) a year - and head the village for almost nothing at the time.

"But I really wanted to lead the impoverished people in the village, to help them enjoy well-to-do lives," the 50-year-old Wang said.

To begin with, the newly elected Party chief - together with other village cadres - conducted research into the problems faced by the village. They found that collectively owned, loss-making businesses, widespread debt and environmental degradation were the major issues that needed to be confronted.

Wang strengthened management of businesses that had potential for profitability and drafted a debt repayment plan of more than 3.8 million yuan.