Turning barren hills into gold mines: what is the secret to prosperity of a small town in Qiannan?

"This used to be abandoned land, and some of it was even barren hills. At the end of last year, the government brought in a tea company, and the barren slopes suddenly came to life." Recently, at a tea base in Duoding Community, Yonghe Town, Weng'an County, villager Huang Anmei, who was applying fertilizer, told reporters that she is 68 this year and never expected to be able to work near her home, thanks to the government's good policies.

Villagers applying fertilizer at the tea garden base

The tea company Huang Anmei mentioned is called Qiannan Yunwu Tea Industry Co., Ltd. Last year, Weng'an County launched the construction of the Yunlan Tourism Avenue. The Party Committee and government of Yonghe Town took the initiative. While carrying out the construction of the Yonghe section of the Yunlan Tourism Avenue, they stepped up investment promotion and successfully brought in Qiannan Yunwu Tea Industry Co., Ltd., with a total investment of more than 10 million yuan. At the beginning of this year, after active preparations, the company has planted more than 500 mu of tea near Duoding Community along the Yunlan Tourism Avenue. The tea varieties planted include white tea, Huangjinye, Yubai tea, Zhongbai No. 1, and others, which have played a positive role in promoting the economic and social development of Yonghe Town.

Tea has been planted on the barren hills and barren land

A few days ago, reporters came to Duoding Community in Yonghe Town and saw that the tea seedlings at the tea garden base were growing well, about 20 cm high, and 26 workers were busy applying fertilizer. "We started planting seedlings in January this year. Every month there are more than 10 days of work, and at most half a month, at 60 yuan per day." A villager who was applying fertilizer told reporters that in the past they had to go to other provinces to work, but now they can find employment near their homes. This newly planted tea garden needs a large amount of labor this year, with more than 100 people at peak times and more than 30 people at other times. They hope the government will bring in more green enterprises that need labor.

Villagers applying fertilizer at the tea garden base

A relevant person in charge of Yonghe Town introduced that the town will rely on the Yunlan Tourism Avenue, adhere to the two bottom lines of development and ecology, vigorously build green tea gardens, and create an ecological tea garden within its jurisdiction that integrates tourism, leisure, tea tasting, and entertainment, so as to boost the economic takeoff of Yonghe Town.

Yang Song, Peng Chuanjie, Qiannan Daily reporter Zhou Daolai