Poor village promises a brighter future

Relocated to brand new houses from old thatched huts, villagers in south Yunnan’s Menghai County said they have never imagined they can live in houses like these. This is only an epitome of poverty eradication in Yunnan.

Manlv in Menghai used to be a poor village in the past. After investigation, the local government formulated poverty alleviation plans on the basis of local natural conditions to plant cash crops like tea and sugarcane. The government also introduced tea and sugar companies to support villagers and broadened marketing channels. It provided fruit tree seedlings, introduced planting methods and offering help in expanding market share for the locals. It also developed agritourism based on the tea mountains, finding a new way to generate income for the villagers.

Now, villagers in Manlv have moved from old thatched huts to brand new houses with solar water heater, digital TV and motorbikes. They believe the village will have a more promising future.