The Echo of Happiness on the "Twenty Four Turn", Ah Mei | The Masses | Happiness
In Qinglong County, Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, there is a famous Anti Japanese War highway called "Twenty four Road Turning".
"Twenty four turns" is named after 24 consecutive bends along the way. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, countless military vehicles crossed the steep mountains and transported aid materials to the front lines of the war.
Nowadays, the "24 turns" are still in use, witnessing the successful poverty alleviation in the rocky desertification areas of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi in China. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the local cadres and masses have continued the spirit of "hard work and struggle against nature", writing a brilliant chapter in promoting comprehensive well-off society and high-quality development in rocky desertification areas.
"Twenty four turns" witness the road to poverty alleviation
Climbing high and gazing into the distance, the "twenty-four turns" resemble a white dragon winding around the mountain.
At that time, almost all members of Qinglong County were mobilized. Under harsh natural conditions, men, women, and children relied on their shoulders and backs, hammering and chiseling to complete the widening and reinforcement of the road in just six months.
"Twenty four turns" has become a spiritual landmark for local people to "work hard and compete with nature", and this spirit has also become the endogenous driving force for Qinglong's decisive victory in poverty alleviation.
Located in the core area of the Yunnan Guizhou Guangxi rocky desertification area, Qinglong was once the county with the highest poverty rate in Qianxinan Prefecture, with a poverty incidence rate of 34.23% and a registered poverty population of over 120000.
For Qinglong, who can only "pick" life in the crevices of mountains and rocks, with mountains like the sea and gravel everywhere, the road to poverty is also like "twenty-four twists and turns", going through twists and turns and difficult progress.
In order to alleviate poverty, the Xueguan Community in Jichang Town, which is hanging halfway up the mountain, plans to replace corn with more economically beneficial fruit trees. However, it is not easy to plant fruit trees in the canyon areas with steep slopes and thin soil layers.
Old community cadre Lu Xiuneng recalled that as he walked towards the mountaintop, there was less soil. He had to stack stones of different sizes layer by layer against the mountain in order to "clamp" on the few pieces of soil.
Day after day, year after year, villagers who compete with nature have finally allowed saplings such as navel oranges and citrus to take root. At present, Jichang Town has planted a total of 12000 acres of navel oranges, citrus fruits, and other fruits, of which 4000 acres have been planted in the Xueguan community, achieving an average of 4 acres per person in the orchard.
Farmers in Xueguan Community, Jichang Town, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province are taking care of their navel orange orchard. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cui Xiaoqiang
Cen Song is a major grower in the local area, planting 300 acres of navel oranges and other crops, and driving many people to find employment. "Last year, paying villagers a salary alone was over 100000 yuan," he said happily. It's worth working hard for everyone to develop together.
The changes in poverty alleviation in Jichang Town are a microcosm of the decisive battle against poverty in Qinglong County. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, cadres and masses in Qinglong County have actively participated in this unprecedented anti poverty struggle.
In the stage of poverty alleviation, various regions in Qinglong have vigorously developed planting and breeding industries according to local conditions. A number of poverty alleviation industries such as tea gardens, orchards, Sichuan peppercorns, and understory mushroom and medicine planting have successively landed, driving 62400 impoverished laborers to find employment.
The relocated population is processing clothing in the poverty alleviation workshop of Ami Qituo Town, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Photo by Yang Wenbin, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Qinglong County also focuses on the "three guarantees" of education, medical care, and housing, adopting a package of precise tactics and tactics. By actively improving educational infrastructure, 149400 students from registered poverty-stricken households in the county will enjoy educational assistance; Promote the full coverage of triple medical insurance for registered impoverished households, and strive to ensure that minor illnesses do not leave the village and major illnesses do not leave the county.
In the past, the rocky desertification and high-altitude mountainous areas experienced tremendous changes. The per capita annual net income of the poverty-stricken population in the county reached 15209 yuan, firmly holding the bottom line of not experiencing large-scale poverty return.
Driving towards a new track of high-quality development
Accompanied by the rapid and jerking roar of the motor, the racer rolled up waves of dust with a continuous "extreme tailspin", and the audience screamed and cheered one after another. This is the scene of a car climbing race held at the "Twenty Four Road Turning" scenic area at the end of 2022.
The racing car is gathering at the "Twenty four Turn" in Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Shen Jizhong
In recent years, Qinglong County has launched tourism products such as car sports, self driving tours, and historical experiences with the "24 turns" as its core, creating a composite tourism base that integrates functions such as sightseeing, experience, leisure, and vacation.
This war hardened road has become a "new track" for the development of tourism in Qinglong County. In 2022, the "24 Road Turn" scenic area received over 100000 tourists, achieved a revenue of 5 million yuan, and created hundreds of local employment opportunities.
The night view of "24 turns" in Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Shen Jizhong
"Twenty four turns" has become a microcosm of the transformation and development strategy of Qinglong County, which has many mountains and few land. Qinglong County has transformed the disadvantage of having many mountains into a development advantage, helping to promote the county's economy and society towards a new track of high-quality development.
Xiong Huayu, the county mayor of Qinglong County, introduced that Qinglong County will organically integrate agricultural modernization with consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and controlling rocky desertification. Large scale planting of tea trees, fruit trees, etc. will gradually form an industrial layout of "tea, fruit and pepper on the mountain, mushroom and animal food on the mountain, and ecological fishing in lakes and reservoirs".
Villagers in Sanhe Village, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province are picking spring tea. Shen Jizhong
Participating in the modernization of agriculture, Qinglong County has gradually grown into a group of "new farmers". In Bichen Town, returning college student Wu Rongyan led the establishment of Guizhou Yizhifang Industrial Development Co., Ltd., changing the traditional business model. On one hand, she made short videos with her team to tell the story of the development of characteristic agriculture in mountainous areas, such as the cultivation and processing of Job's tears rice, on social media platforms; On the other hand, strengthening the company's data management and exploring the development of traditional glutinous Job's tears production and processing towards deep processing.
Yizhifang Factory Area, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Shen Jizhong
Wu Rongyan said that the company's deeply processed products such as "Job's tears fruit cereal" are taking advantage of e-commerce and entering the "fast lane" of development. In 2022, the company's sales output value reached 130 million yuan, driving employment and income growth for 617 poverty-stricken households.
Workers are producing in the Yizhifang factory area of Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Shen Jizhong
Qinglong County has also cultivated modern agricultural enterprises. The Tenglongling Edible Mushroom Rod Factory, located in the eastern and western parts of Huiqian, Qinglong County, has collaborated to build a modern agricultural industrial park for understory mushroom medicine. The almost fully mechanized production line, including ingredients, rod making, and inoculation, operates in an orderly manner. The modern production line is eye-catching.
On March 29th, villagers in Tenglong Street, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province were picking edible mushrooms. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Luo Fei
Wang Song, a staff member of the mushroom stick factory, introduced that the factory has applied the most advanced fully automated production equipment and technology for mushroom sticks in China. It can produce 15 million mushroom sticks annually, which can drive more than 50 fixed workers and radiate more than 3000 seasonal workers.
Qinglong County is also actively promoting the construction of key projects such as Qinglong Thermal Power Plant and Agricultural Photovoltaic Power Station with complementary lighting, water and light, gradually forming a diversified energy system of "wind, solar, water and fire storage".
Tearing off the label of absolute poverty for thousands of years, we have successfully achieved comprehensive prosperity, and Qinglong is striding towards rural revitalization and common prosperity.
A proud and enterprising mountain town
As night falls, the small town of Ami Qituo, not far from the "Twenty Four Turn", is brightly lit. Wen Anmei is leading a Yi ethnic woman dressed in ethnic attire to dance the original Yi ethnic dance, Ami Qituo, around a bonfire in the square.
Dancing on the ground, conveying emotions with one's feet, the bright sound of footsteps echoing with cheerful drumbeats, laughter and cheers echoing in the brilliant night sky.
Residents and tourists from the relocation of Ami Qituo Town in Qinglong County, Guizhou Province, dance around a campfire at Jinmen Square. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cui Xiaoqiang
Ami Qituo Town was built in Qinglong County during the poverty alleviation stage to resettle relocated poverty alleviation residents. Before 2020, more than 57000 people living in mountainous areas in Qinglong County were relocated to poverty alleviation through relocation. Among them, more than 29000 people, like Wen'anmei, settled in Qinglong County.
The children participated in a cultural performance in Ami Qituo Town, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Photo by Yang Wenbin, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Moving into the city along the winding mountain road, the life of Wen'anmei's family has undergone tremendous changes. Nowadays, she always exudes confidence and a bright smile when eating "travel meals".
This is a photo taken on June 6, 2019 in Ami Qituo Town, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province. Photo by Yang Wenbin, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Assembly photo: The above picture is taken on June 6, 2019 in Ami Qituo Town, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province; The following picture is taken of Sanbao Yi Ethnic Township in Qinglong County before relocation in 2017. Shen Jizhong
In order to ensure that the residents can move out, stay stable, and become wealthy, Qinglong County has also built educational and industrial parks, providing medical and educational support for the elderly and children. Many relocated residents do not need to go out to work and can find employment at their doorstep. Now, they have a common identity: new citizens.
Two relocated residents from Sanbao Yi Township, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province, embroider at the relocation and resettlement site for poverty alleviation in Ami Qituo Town. Photo by Yang Wenbin, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
New citizens bring vitality to urban development and also pose higher requirements for urban construction. During the 13th Five Year Plan period, the urban area of Qinglong County increased from 4 square kilometers to 6.25 square kilometers, with an urbanization rate of 48%.
When it comes to urban changes, what locals feel the most deeply is the change in water use. "What a beautiful Qinglong County, with no water supply during the day and no power supply at night" was once a self deprecating catchphrase among residents of Qinglong County.
The altitude of Qinglong County is over 1000 meters, and the water source, Ximi River, is located at the deep bottom of the valley, with a water lifting drop of up to 900 meters. Once upon a time, residents not only had expensive drinking water, but intermittent water shutdowns were also a norm. With local efforts, the Ximihe Reservoir and the county water supply network project were completed and put into use in 2021, making the difficulty of drinking water a thing of the past.
In the past, Qinglong County suffered from nature and was poor on the road. Nowadays, a wide and flat asphalt county road flies up from the "Twenty Four Turn" side, crossing the county town of Qinglong and connecting to the highway that connects the river and the sea.
With the improvement of the overall transportation network in Guizhou, thousands of bridges fly over the karst mountainous areas, becoming a "high-speed plain" that extends in all directions. Qinglong County has also continuously broken through transportation bottlenecks, with intercity highways passing through and a dense road network within the county, opening the door to opening up to the outside world. With convenient transportation, more and more tourists and businessmen are visiting and investing in Qinglong County.
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