Local government urges relocation to bolster anti-poverty drive

In Dahua, a county to the northwest of Nanning, a program is underway to provide subsidized housing for the poor.

Since 2014, dozens of people have relocated from the nearby villages to Minzu Xin Cheng (roughly translates to "new ethnic town"), local officials say. The semi-urban site is located at about 150 kilometers from the capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Of the county's 460,000 people, some 80,000 live below the poverty line, which is nationally defined by the annual household income of 2,300 yuan ($335).