Poverty relief brings changes in Yunnan villages

Reading tip:  At the backdrop of the on-going Yunnan Lianghui/Two Sessions, we have a special review of the changes happened in the province in the past five years. The changes will be shown in seven personal stories and more. Here is the first story on poverty relief:    

Li's story

Li Na, a 97-year-old Lahu granny, is very happy when it comes to her current life.

But remembering life in the past makes her sad: "Short of food, my family just ate olive skin, wild vegetables and berries, as well as all kinds of roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits found in the mountains.”

Li lives in the Laosabao village of Lancang County, southwest Yunnan’s Pu’er City. Cut off from the outside by high mountains and deep valleys, the villagers belong to "the directly-entering-socialism ethnic groups", and they follow their simple tradition of the "slash-and-burn" farming. Poverty seems to be their lot from generation to generation.

However, the recent years witnessed great changes in the village. Take a look at the new life!

Now, the Laodabao village is connected by a newly built road, the Internet is accessible and a new public toilet has been built. The annual per capita income has reached over 3,000 yuan, surpassing the national poverty line as a whole.

In 2013, the villagers set up their own ethnic performing arts company which is the first of its kind in Pu'er City. More than 200 villagers became actors, and they also farm if no performance.

Since its opening, the company has finished 140 performances, earning 1.3 million yuan. The performing groups of "Dabao Brothers Five" and "Dabao Sisters" have debuted at the National Centre for the Performing Arts and CCTV. They also played abroad.

"In the past, we could only went to the mountains to pick up wild things for food. Now we are much richer and we can easily buy whatever you want to eat." Li Na said. 

As of now, Li has nearly 80 offsprings, and her pastime every day is to watch TV cartoons with her grandchildren. 

"I'd like to go to Lancang county-seat again to see the changes of the town in the years," said Li.