Getting the lowdown on development

I was lucky enough to visit Liu Yi's farm over the weekend. Tilling about 900 sq m of land in northern China, Liu grows corn to feed his family of four.

The 45-year-old farmer supplements his income by rearing a few horses and renting them to tourists in the surrounding grasslands. He makes less than 10,000 yuan ($1,460) a year for the family.

Liu lives on the outskirts of Hebei province, less than five hours' drive to the north of the booming capital.