By Cui Can

Mao Xianglin carries oranges in Xiazhuang village, Wushan county, southwestern China's Chongqing municipality, on Jan. 7, 2021 (XINHUA)

Surrounded by thousand-meter cliffs on all sides, nearly 400 villagers lived at the bottom of a valley tucked away in the rocky mountains of southwestern China's Chongqing municipality, with just an old pathway zigzagging through the mountains. Life was hard for people living in Xiazhuang village back in 1997, when their annual income averaged only approximately 300 yuan with no convenient access to the outside world. 

Mao Xianglin, the 62-year-old head of the village, has devoted his life over the past two decades to carving a road out of the cliffs and seeking a way for villagers to escape poverty. His efforts led people to compare his effort to "the Foolish Old Man who removed the mountains," a famous Chinese fable about the virtues of perseverance and willpower. 

In 2004, an 8-kilometer-long road on the cliff was completed, reducing the travel time for a round trip between Xiazhuang village and the downtown area of Wushan county from at least four days to within a day. It enables more villagers to venture out and find work, and the village prospered over the years by planting oranges and hosting tourists. The per capita disposable income of the villagers topped 13,000 yuan in 2020, more than 40 times that before the construction of the road, according to local authorities. 

Mao recalled the days during which they built the "sky road" along the cliff that for generations had cut off the village from the outside world. It had required much determination to overcome many obstacles. 

Mao said he had to raise funds for the road at first. He borrowed 20,000 yuan on his own, and other villagers came up with another 4,000 yuan. In 1997, Mao led more than 100 villagers to begin building the road. 

However, the construction work was way more difficult than they had imagined. Without machines, the workers had to choose a primitive method. They tied ropes around their waists and dangled from the cliff, using hammers and drills to clear obstacles. Although aware of the risks, the workers rose to challenges with their determination and their expectation for a better life. 

None of the challenges had shaken Mao's resolve, until falling rocks hit two workers in two consecutive months, and sent them tumbling into the valley. 

"One of the young men had found work in the neighboring province, but volunteered to return to the village of his birth to build the road," Mao said, saddened by the memory. 

At Huang Huiyuan's funeral, Mao asked the villagers whether they should continue. Huang's 72-year-old father stood up and encouraged his fellow villagers. "We've already done half of the job, and hundreds of people are still stuck in this place," he said. "Despite my son's death, I hope we can continue with the construction, so that our future generations can live a better life." 

Touched by his words, Mao and other villagers carried on. 

To speed up the construction, the workers brought tools and food up the mountains. They lived in caves and tied ropes to trees and around their waists to avoid falling off the cliff while sleeping. Mao himself worked and lived among the mountains for three months without going home. 

After seven years of arduous efforts, people in Xiazhuang village finally built the road linking the outside world. It is more than a road; it is a pathway to prosperity. 

Road to a better life 

Though the road was open, most of the villagers still lived in poverty. For Mao, building the road was only the first step, and finding a way to help villagers shake off poverty was next. 

He led villagers to plant lacquer trees, but they withered due to the unfavorable climate. Mao also tried raising goats, but that attempt failed, too.  

Mao said he was thankful that his fellow villagers did not blame him for his failures. "We overcame the difficulties in building a road on the cliff. Now what's the big deal?" they told him. 

With the villagers' support, Mao decided to try orange trees. At first, the oranges over fields covering an area of over 33 hectares were mostly destroyed by pests, but still, he did not lose faith. 

Agricultural experts were brought to the village to teach people how to grow fruit. They suggested the locals plant oranges, peaches and watermelons. In 2019, the orange output reached nearly 40 metric tons. At present, the orange orchard already covers a total area of over 43 hectares, and Mao said he expected the annual sales of the oranges would reach 900,000 yuan, the watermelons approximately 100,000 yuan, and the peaches 100,000-200,000 yuan by the end of 2020. 

The whole village has shaken off poverty in 2015. By the end of 2019, a total of 269 people from 64 households had been lifted out of poverty. The poverty headcount ratio has been reduced to 0.29% and the per capita disposable income has reached 12,000 yuan on average. 

Mao now has a bigger dream than an easy access of the village to the outside world. He hopes that more people will come and take tours in Xiazhuang village. In order to develop rural tourism, a total of 19 houses in the village have been turned into homestays. 

"In a couple of years, with the development of tourism, we will see our income double," Mao said with confidence. 

(Source: China.org.cn)