Party secretary propels village into prosperity

Qinggangba has escaped poverty thanks to leader's determination

Qinggangba, a village near the Wuling Mountains in Sinan county, Guizhou province, that was once known only for its poverty, has become an affluent village envied by its neighbors partly thanks to the efforts of its Party secretary.

There was a popular folk song that described how poor the village was. The lyrics go like this: "Two out of three years there's no yield, and no one wants to marry their daughters off to this land."

Due to infertile land and scarce water resources, the per capita income of the villagers in Qinggangba was less than 1,000 yuan ($137.60) a year two decades ago, with most families struggling to make ends meet.