In recent days, Tan Shihua, the leader of the rural revitalization working team in Shazhou Yao Village, Rucheng County, which has been in the village since May 2021, was occupied with collecting public opinions and needs, promoting the implementation of more practical matters related to people’s livelihood, and reviewing the work before bedtime.

As the place where the story of “Half a Quilt” happened, in recent years, Shazhou Village has achieved positive results in such aspects as Red education, industrial prosperity, and the living environment improvement.

“More than 80% of the villagers have found employment at their doorstep. The collective income of the village has doubled, and the per capita income has also increased significantly,” said Tan Shihua. He is familiar with the changes in Shazhou Village.

The agricultural specialty street in Shazhou Village was bustling with people.

Zhu Xiaoying, a post-90s entrepreneur, was busy at her store. She is from Chaoshan City of Guangdong Province. She used to stay with her family at her parents’ home after marriage. As Shazhou Village was rated as a 4A-level scenic area, she returned to the village and opened three specialty shops and one milk tea shop, with an annual income of over 200,000 yuan.

In recent years, with the assistance of the working team, Shazhou Village has guided villagers to plant 780 mu (52 hectares) of Nai plums, loquat, and pears, built 65 agricultural specialty stalls, and developed 48 homestay inns, restaurants, and shops. It has also provided more than 20 job opportunities in the scenic area, and promoted more than 400 people to start businesses and find employment at their doorstep. Last year, the per capita income of Shazhou Village increased from 15,000 yuan in 2020 to 25,000 yuan, a growth of 67%.

In order to advance the development of agricultural tourism, the village has made efforts to build infrastructure. It has repaired 267 meters of flood discharge channels and constructed a 3,300-meter-long and 1.2-meter-wide hiking trail in the mountain orchard with 1.2 million yuan from the municipal and county agriculture and rural bureaus. It has solved the water supply for the 500-mu (about 33.33 hectares) rural complex and agricultural tourism landscape with 2 million yuan from the county water resources bureau. It has also built a new 1,665.5-meter-long sewage pipe with 2 million yuan from the county environmental protection bureau.

With the active efforts of the working team, the agricultural and rural infrastructure in Shazhou Village has been gradually improved, providing the support for the rapid and stable development of the agricultural, cultural, and tourism economy.

By revitalizing the collective idle assets, Shazhou Village has built village-run enterprises such as the photovoltaic power plant, Yao ethnic farmhouse, and Common-prosperity Workshop according to local conditions. It has also improved the collective income generating projects such as sightseeing and picking orchards, public rental stalls, and public housing sites.

The village has promoted diversified development of the collective economy through trademark authorization, equity dividends, entrusted management, cultural and creative development.

Last year, Shazhou Village achieved the collective economy of 1.29 million yuan from 560,000 yuan in 2020, an increase of 130.36%.

Nowadays, relying on the Red culture, green ecology, and ancient rural style, Shazhou Village has developed more than 20 agricultural, cultural, and tourism industries such as vegetable and fruit planting, tourist shops, specialty shops, restaurants, hotels, homestay inns, and cultural and creative products.

“We have tapped into resources, strengthened the development of industries, and expanded the business scope, and access broader markets, which has increased agricultural efficiency and farmers’ income. As long as we work hard and persevere, we will get more income and live a happier life,” said Tan Shihua.

With the growing collective economy, Shazhou Village has established the “Xiangmeizi Energy Home” to exchange points for goods, guiding villagers to actively participate in environmental sanitation evaluations and practice civilized norms.

In March 2023, the “Happiness Canteen” was opened, which provides three meals a day for elderly people over 70 years old in the village, those from poverty-stricken households, and other special disadvantaged groups.

Starting from 2022, a monthly pension subsidy of over 200 yuan has been provided to over 100 elderly people over 60 years old in the village, and half of the medical insurance premiums have been offered to all villagers.

The Village Gala, Harvest Festival, New Year’s Goods Festival, Agricultural Fun Fair and other activities have been held for several consecutive years since 2022.

Meanwhile, the living environment has improved significantly at Shazhou Village after lighting, beautifying and other projects. Taking into account the protection of the scenic area and the needs of villagers for building houses, a garden-style “Happy New Village” was launched in Houlong Mountain. 28 new houses in the first phase have been delivered, which can meet the diverse needs of villagers for a peaceful and happy life. The Yao Embroidery Common Prosperity Workshop has been established, which has provided jobs for more than 60 embroidery women from the surrounding areas to increase income.

Nowadays, Shazhou Village, which has the fruit picking area, ecological fishing and leisure area, rural life experience area, Red traditional education area, and ecological sightseeing agricultural landscape belt, has taken on a new look for rural revitalization.

Chinese source: hunantoday