Vitalization in Shandong transforms rural communities

With muddy roads transformed into wide and clean roads and previously messy areas now growing flowers and plants, the overall appearance of villages in Jining, Shandong province has undergone a remarkable change, bringing joy to villagers.

Wang Yu'e, a 44-year-old resident of Dahonggou village in Zoucheng, a county-level city of Jining said her four-room house was renovated into a homestay in 2019 with the help of a company that cooperates with the village to develop the agricultural, cultural and tourism sectors in the village.

Since then, she has taken up the role of cleaning the guest rooms, earning a monthly salary of around 3,000 yuan ($460). In addition, Wang can earn some bonus income by joining in the development of the village's collective economy.

"In total, my annual income has increased by around 50,000 yuan compared to that of three years ago," said Wang.

The village has been adopting a development model called "Rural Vitalization Partners" to invite partners to jointly develop the rural area.

To date, 160 partners have joined hands with Dahonggou village in developing various cooperative projects, including tea houses, Chinese traditional clothing shops and small bars.

According to Yuan Yibin, Party secretary of Zoucheng, these projects have vitalized 70 idle houses in the village and put 31 hectares of idle land surrounding the village into use.

A similar development model is also being conducted in Dongzhongdu village of Sishui county where partners have utilized 45 idle courtyards and over 16 hectares of idle land around the village to develop a range of facilities, turning the village into a rural slow-living leisure destination that integrates leisure, vacation, field study, shopping and training.

The transformation of the villages not only brings tangible economic benefits but enhances the overall well-being of the residents, said Lin Hongyu, Party secretary of Jining.