Second, we made plans for the renovation of the village. We'll follow a principle that requires reservation of one third of the original houses, which can give visitors a picture of what Dazhai was like before, ' new construction of one third and renovation of one third. The latter two should have drainage systems, separate bathrooms and separate toilets, more suitable for human habitation.

Third, we are helping villagers to change. As there are an increasing number of people visiting Dazhai, we encourage local residents to engage in the service industry. Some of our neighboring villages are still very poor, so we can absorb more laborers from them to work in our factories or the service industry, which can also help them a lot. Under such a development plan, the neighboring area will develop into a town centered on Dazhai.

What opportunities can building a new countryside bring to Dazhai? Is it possible for Dazhai to become an example again in this move?

For some of the difficult aspects in building a new countryside, such as social security and educational resources, we will seek help from the government, which will boost Dazhai's economic development.

As to the question of whether Dazhai can become a new example, I think building a new countryside must conform to different characteristics in different regions. Enough consideration should be given to local conditions. None of the villages can be built in the exact same way and we should try to avoid any impractical action.

How long do you think it will take Dazhai to reach the standard of the so-called new countryside? What are the difficulties for Dazhai now?

This is hard to predict, because the new countryside is a comprehensive standard. If we are only talking about economic development and living conditions, we've improved a lot. We have posed the goal of building a garden village with a sound ecosystem. We adopted a "five uniform" idea in dealing with farmland: uniform mechanized cultivation, uniform irrigation, uniform purchase of seeds and fertilizer, uniform technical service and uniform field management for farmers. We have also treated all barren mountains. Walking into Dazhai, now you can see greenery all around. The Hutoushan Hill near the village has become a tourist attraction.

Living conditions are also improving a lot. The village and individuals share the expenses equally in building new houses, which has helped to build 54 new-style houses, each with a floor space of 180-220 square meters. Currently, one third of the villagers have moved into new houses. Regarding social security, people above 60 years of age enjoy pensions. Children are exempted from all educational expenses from kindergarten to primary school and university students enjoy scholarships. All these are achieved through our courage, diligence and hard work.

However, in the "soft" environment, such as the habits I mentioned, change takes longer. Education and guidance are needed; it's not a simple question of money. Improving farmers' quality is not a difficulty that we alone are encountering but a tough job in building a new countryside throughout the country.

Profile of Guo Fenglian

Guo Fenglian, 59, Secretary of the Dazhai Village Committee of the Communist Party of China, first became famous for her defiance of all difficulties in "fighting nature."

A devastating flood hit Dazhai in August 1963, which put the village's field and houses under a vast expanse of water. Only rocks were left on the nine-hectare terraced field after floodwaters rushed through. A total of 113 cave dwellings out of 140 in the village collapsed and 77 houses among the total of 125 were buried in mud. Villagers had no place to stay. In this urgent situation, Guo and 22 other young women formed a brigade, working in the most dangerous part to save people. She was given the title of "iron girl" later and became the village's Party secretary in 1965 at the age of 18.

Guo left Dazhai in 1980, and in the following 10 years no major development was seen in the village. She returned to Dazhai in November 1991 and was made Party secretary again. Taking up her post, she said, "In the past, all other villages in the country learned from Dazhai, but now Dazhai will learn from all other villages." Under her leadership, substantial developments are taking place.

Ups and Downs

Dazhai, with a population of 520 and covering an area of 1.88 square km, is a small village located in the mountainous region of north China's Shanxi Province. Forty years ago, Dazhai seemed to be a name every Chinese person knew. The land was barren and it often suffered from floods, but village residents realized high grain production through their own efforts. In 1964, the Central Government called on the agricultural sector to learn from Dazhai, and in the following 15 years the village became an example for China's rural areas.

After China's reform and opening-up policy was initiated in 1979, dramatic changes took place in rural areas. Many villages had a better economic performance than Dazhai and its achievements soon became a memory.

However, Dazhai didn't stop its development. The village's revenue in 2005 totaled 116 million yuan and yearly per-capita income reached 5,500 yuan, exceeding the average rural income. Dazhai's current economic situation is better than that of 60 percent of rural villages in the country. Particularly in the last couple of years, with frequent TV broadcasts of advertisements for Dazhai Walnut Dew and sales of various light-industry products with the Dazhai trademark, the village is once again becoming well known.

Similar to many other poverty-stricken rural villages in China in terms of geographical location and natural conditions, Dazhai has set a good example for others in the construction of a "new countryside." In fact, Dazhai launched its development plans before the Central Government proposed the idea earlier this year.