Yuangudui: From a struggling village to a serene mountain retreat-China's poverty alleviation in action

From 1978 to 2020, China's poverty alleviation campaign lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty through rapid economic growth, large-scale infrastructure investment, and national poverty reduction strategies.

Nearly 100 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2012 and 2020 under President Xi Jinping's Targeted Poverty Alleviation strategy.

The policy introduced a more individualized approach to poverty reduction.

Yuangudui Village, in Weiyuan County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, is considered one of the country's flagship examples of poverty alleviation, especially given that Gansu is one of China's most economically disadvantaged provinces despite its diverse geography, natural resources, and industrial base, primarily because of its harsh climate and other factors.

In just ten years, Yuangudui, once an impoverished rural community, underwent a remarkable transformation.

From cultivating lilies and traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to developing smart greenhouses and seed potato breeding bases, villagers have significantly improved their living standards while creating a peaceful and joyful mountain community.

Located more than a two-hour drive from the provincial capital of Lanzhou, Yuangudui sits at an altitude of about 2,500 meters.

Just over a decade ago, Yuangudui had no infrastructure. During a visit in 2013, President Xi Jinping instructed local officials to improve residents' living standards. Today, the village has paved roads, reliable electricity and water supplies, a clinic, a tourist hotel, and a children's playground. What was once an impoverished mountain settlement has become a destination for visitors seeking its natural surroundings.

"Let us work together to make our lives more and more prosperous," Xi said during his visit.

Residents continue to take pride in Xi's visit. A local museum displays photographs of the Chinese president meeting villagers, including one of an elderly resident offering him water in a plastic bowl-a reminder of the village's difficult living conditions at the time, when basic services were lacking. The man's former home has also been preserved to show younger generations what life was like before the government's poverty alleviation campaign.

A village official told Armenpress that the government invested a total of 240 million yuan – around $35,5 million - in modernizing Yuangudui.

“The ultimate goal of poverty alleviation is to increase the living standards of the people,” the official said, highlighting President Xi’s policies.

One elderly farmer, who earns his living by growing traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, said Xi's visit marked a turning point for the community.

"Great changes took place after President Xi Jinping visited us," he told Armenpress. "I am very happy. My life has changed."

Before the poverty alleviation campaign, the village's average annual per capita income was just 1,000 yuan-slightly more than $100. Today, it exceeds 21,500 yuan.

The village has since been designated a National Demonstration Village for Poverty Alleviation.

Yuangudui has developed an industrial model centered on "leading enterprises + cooperatives + production bases + major growers." Under this approach, lily cultivation has expanded to 1,470 mu, while traditional Chinese medicinal herb cultivation now covers nearly 2,000 mu. The village has also established a standardized processing facility for traditional Chinese medicinal materials and a foundation seed potato production base. The processing facility handles approximately 1,500 tonnes of medicinal materials annually and provides stable employment for more than 100 local residents.

In addition, Yuangudui has introduced a development model that links the Village Collective Economic Cooperative with rural business partners, encouraging 46 entrepreneurs originally from the village to return and invest in their hometown. By creating five new sources of collective economic income, the village has increased both collective revenues and household incomes.

Yuangudui illustrates how sustained investment, targeted policies, and local industrial development can transform living conditions in one of China's formerly impoverished rural communities.

The village's location has also contributed to tourism. Nearby is Majiayao Village, the type site of the Majiayao culture, one of China's most significant Neolithic cultures and one that is best known for its distinctive painted pottery.