President's visit set course for country's poverty fight

The next goal

Wang Guangchao was one of six Party members who wrote a letter to President Xi on behalf of all villagers in the township, reporting on its success in tackling poverty.

Liu Minghua, another Party member who contributed to the letter, said: "We told the general secretary that Xiadang is different now. The road extends in all directions, and it is much easier to go to schools and receive medical care.

"We also assured him that the people here will continue to work toward a better life, and issued an invitation to him to come back someday."

On Aug 4, Xi replied in a letter, saying he was delighted to hear the news, and offered his congratulations to the villagers.

After 30 years of unremitting efforts, Xiadang has shifted from being almost inaccessible to being easily reached and its residents have an increasing sense of wealth and happiness, Xi said in his letter.

The experience in the township has been a vivid example of the truth in sayings such as, "A slow sparrow should make an early start" and "water droplets drilling through rock", he said.

Xi added that he hopes the villagers will forge ahead with a "persistent spirit, enhance their confidence and make sustained and arduous efforts to consolidate the outcomes of poverty reduction".

He also encouraged them to "explore a path of rural vitalization with Ningde characteristics".

For local officials, Xi's remarks provided the impetus to continue the momentum needed to alleviate poverty.

"Rural vitalization is another test left to us to answer," said Ye, the township Party chief.

Despite the fact that all impoverished families in the area have been lifted out of poverty, there is still a chance they could fall below the poverty line in the future, he said.

"Some of the families have members who are mentally ill, while others are coping with serious diseases. We cannot afford to be complacent," he said.

Ye also underscored the need to protect the environment in Xiadang, which has a forest coverage rate of 81 percent. "Poverty reduction cannot come at the cost of sacrificing the environment," he said.

Meanwhile, the township is also seeing an increase in tourist arrivals, which has diversified revenue channels for farmers.

Last year, Xiadang welcomed more than 150,000 tourists, and the number is expected to rise this year.

Wang Guangchao, like many other villagers, has taken the opportunity to open a teahouse, which is visited by dozens of customers each day. The influx of tourists has also boosted sales of tea products from his farms, he said.

Ye said he is confident that with the development of the tourism sector and improvement in infrastructure, increasing numbers of people will return to the township for work.

Lin, the official, said the authorities will further refine healthcare policies to prevent families falling below the poverty line due to illness.

He said another crucial measure is to shore up the growth of industries that can raise the incomes of poor families.

"We will continue to adopt all the measures at our disposal to bolster the incomes of poor families. Lifting them above the poverty line was only the first step. The next goal, as outlined by General Secretary Xi, is to make sure that they can live decent lives."