Located on the Loess Plateau, the village, like thousands of others in north China, is struggling to optimize the natural environment, while improving the living standards of farmers.

Yan, a former private business owner enjoying popularity in his village, was elected as village leader five years ago. His ability has been fully recognized over the past year by mobilizing 2,000 villagers to reforest the bare mountains, build vegetable greenhouses and set up township businesses.

In order to make more efficient use of the land, Yan has negotiated with villagers to build a centralized residential zone in the village, where six multi-storeys buildings will be built. The buildings under construction will comfortably accommodate more than 800 villagers.

Yan said that besides the land factor, farmers love to live in buildings, where they can enjoy tap water and central heating facilities, rather than single-storey houses.

“Our village has been hooked onto the provincial power grid and the cable TV network. Our next dream is to beautify and improve the infrastructure of the village,” said the 48-year-old village leader, standing on the construction site.

On his blueprint, the upcoming residential zone features amusement facilities, square space and lawns.

In addition to farming, farmers in Suoyu Village will have more jobs, since two township businesses, a three-million-yuan coal carbonization plant and an one-million-yuan coal mining plant, are to be established in two years.

“At the next stage, we will build a high-quality kindergarten and an amusement center,” said Yan, who has taken in mind both economic construction and the cultural development.

To Yan, the development of the village on the road to prosperity has just laid a foundation, which is just like the new apartment buildings.

(People’s Daily 01/30/2001)