A rural ideal

Experts from China Agricultural University help remote Yunnan village become a model of vitalization and innovation, report Yang Feiyue in Beijing and Li Yingqing in Kunming.

A small village, way off the beaten track, has been turned into a model of rural vitalization and innovation.

Two years ago, residents at Maidichong village wouldn't have dreamed their home would be known among urban travelers. The village in Yiliang county is about 90 minutes' drive from Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province.

"Everything was a mess and chaotic," says Pan Yunchun, a local villager, adding that the sewage flowed everywhere and the manure of farm animals could be seen everywhere.