Water resettlers lead a green, happy life in central Yunnan

A group of Chinese journalists investigated the Hydro-power resettlement projects in central Yunnan's Yuxi City on November 28-30, visiting the resettled villagers in the Yuanjiang and E’shan counties, as well as Hongta district.

The Feijing reservoir was built in the 1957s as a drinking-water source for the downtown of Hongta District, with villagers voluntarily moving out of the to-be-inundated area. “Five years ago, our village was still poor and littered with garbage, with mosquitoes flying about, but now our community boasts great landscape. " Bai Fushun, a senior re-settler aged 68, said.

The dramatic change is attributed to a clean-up campaign and a renovation project that was kicked off in recent years by local authorities. With improved drainage systems, dirt in the village was cleared up. More farming land was turned into woods.

As of July 2017, the project works have almost been completed with investment of about 60 million yuan, according local resettlement officials.

In the Manlai resettlement village of Yuanjiang County, the reporters were impressed by numerous fruit gardens, which used to be barren hills.

"The per capita net income of folks in the green village has exceeded 12,000 RMB,” said Bai Wenhua, deputy secretary of Yuanjiang County Party Committee.

Li Yanling, the deputy head of Manlai Town, is the richest re-settler in Manlai village. With her husband managing construction projects in the developed areas, the household has an asset of over ten million yuan. Seven digging machine and six cars appeared in the front of her house, including brands of Audi, BMW, Land Rover and others. 

For most re-settlers, planting improved fruit varieties of litchi, longan and Mango in stead of traditional corns and sugarcane has greatly increased their incomes, while drawing in rural tourists. 

At the Huanian water resettlement site in E’shan County, two-storey building of are coupled with shades of mangoes trees, where the resettled villager gather in groups, chatting merrily.

The 2,997 resettlers moved to Huanian in 2013 from northeast Yunnan Zhaotong City, where Xiluodu hydropower project was built on a upper-reach of the Yangtze River. 
　
In 2012, he relocated to Xunan Town with the relocation of the Xiluodu Hydropower Station. After the relocation, Zhu Changlong whole family assigned to more than 10 acres of land, he will all 8 acres of tomato species, the rest rental. 

"Last year, tomato planting brought me an income of 150,000 yuan, which is something quite beyond me in my old home." Zhu Changlong, 35, used to be a resident in Zhaoyang District. For most resettlers, the income in Yuxi is several times higher than that in Zhotong. 

Zhu added the living environment also improved. “Now only 50 minutes is needed to reach Yuxi City, compared with the five-hour bus ride to Zhaotong City in the past.