A modern community emerges from the past

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set out a blueprint for China's path to modernization, with the aim of guiding the development of all walks of life in the new era and contributing positively to global progress. Throughout the year, China Daily will run a series of picture stories that highlight important waypoints on this journey. In this first installment, we examine the dramatic change in fortunes of the Derung people in Yunnan province, brought about by a decade of dedication and development.

Over the last decade, Dulongjiang township, Gongshan county of Yunnan province, has seen drastic changes, which resulted in one of the most remote, closed and poorest areas in China embracing digital and modern life.

Home of one of the country's smallest ethnic groups, the Derung, Dulongjiang township used to be isolated by deep gorges and snowcapped mountains until 2014, when a tunnel provided access to the wider world.

For hundreds of years, Derung people lived a primitive life — sleeping in thatched homes, traversing rivers by rope crossing, climbing the mountains on handmade vine ladders. But now it has been transformed.

In October 2012, China Daily reporters visited the town to meet the residents.

The 79.6-kilometer mountain road from Gongshan county to the town had 794 bends. We departed at 8 am and arrived as the sun was setting.

In February this year, we revisited the area. This time, it took just two hours to drive there. Upon arrival, what we saw were brand-new dwellings surrounded by clear rivers. The shaky single-log bridges were replaced by sturdy modern structures.

Everybody has a mobile phone except for some of the elderly and children. E-commerce, express delivery and livestreaming are no longer something unusual. Students enjoy free education from kindergarten to senior middle school. With a permanent population of 5,000, the residents have 1,036 automobiles.

The photos taken in 2012 and this year aim to show how life has changed through the country's poverty alleviation and rural vitalization programs.