Baiyu village, once the poorest sector of Pingnan county, Fujian province, is taking on a new look with beautiful scenery and modern houses.

The past

Baiyu village enjoys a picturesque landscape with mountains and rivers. It is also close to the Baishuiyang and Luojingshan scenic spots, as well as Tianxingshan National Forest Park. The beautiful village was previously unknown to the general public because of its difficult transportation. The average individual income was less than 3000 yuan ($480) in 2005. Many young people left the village to work outside, and the old and the children were left in the poor village with its bad living and traffic conditions.

The reform

The local government, supported by provincial and prefectural governments and the public, raised a total of 7 million yuan ($1.12 million), which was funneled in to road construction, a water conservancy project, slope protection, drinking water project, roadway lighting, and the construction of a fitness center, to make the village a livable place for local residents and tourists. A modern residential area with 45 rural villas has been built.

Buildings in Baiyu village. [Photo / cn-bsy.com]

Tourism

Chen Fenggui, the owner of Shangri-La Motel, came back to Baiyu village in 2012 after working outside for 30 years. He built a three-floor modern motel in 2013, including a restaurant which can accommodate 20 to 30 people, a hall on the first floor and seven guest rooms on the second and third floors.

Each room is equipped with a television, air-conditioner, shower and WIFI. One of the characteristics of living in rural areas is the abundance of green vegetables. Chen's motel has a vegetable garden that can provide fresh vegetables for tourists.

Chen said the motel brings him a maximum income of 10,000 yuan ($1,600) each month. There are already another 12 motels in the village.

Agriculture with high technology

Baiyu village signed a contract with a Taiwan orchid company—Senyuan, to set up a Fujian-Taiwan cooperative program of orchid planting in 2011. With an investment of 20 million yuan ($3.2 million), the program aimed to build a comprehensive orchid planting base, which, with an investment of 20million yuan ($3.2 million), aims to transfer its agricultural industry with a tissue culture center, 10 seedling greenhouses, 100 orchid cultivation bases and 1,000 orchid promotion bases.

The orchid tissue culture center, was put into operation in November, 2011, and has cultivated more than 90,000 seedlings and outputted 280,000 pots of orchids. The center is expected to generate an annual income of 5 million yuan ($810,000).

Sun Caimei, a 39-year-old woman, is working in the center. Despite a broken finger, the center has provided her with a job opportunity to earn 2,000 yuan ($324) per month. The center has also helped many other residents increase their incomes.

In 2013, the individual income in Biayu village reached 9,000 yuan ($1,500). Baiyu's experience of promoting its economy with high technology has set itself as a model for other poor villages in Fujian.