Openness brings prosperity to Dulongjiang

Dulongjiang Derung villagers help process caoguo cardamom crops along the river during the annual harvesting season. [Photo/China Daily]

The Dulongjiang township is located in northwest Yunnan's Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture. Early in the morning, local resident Mu Lisheng drove to the county town to buy some flower pots. He wanted to redecorate his courtyard and celebrate the Spring Festival with his family and friends.

"It only takes a little over two hours to reach the county town now. In the past, climbing over mountains would take six or seven days," said Mu.

Stretching for thousands of kilometers, the Gaoligong Mountain encloses the Dulongjiang Gorge, the only dwelling place of the Dulong people.

For generations, the deep and secluded gorge and snow-covered peaks forced the Dulong people to cross the river with rope bridges and climb the "Sky Ladder" on cliffs to hunt, fish, and farm. In 2008, the average per capita income in the region was only 805 yuan.

For the Dulong people, living a better life has been a millennium-long aspiration.

In 2014, with a resounding blast, the 6.68-kilometer-long Dulongjiang Tunnel was completed, finally ending the historical isolation of the Dulongjiang township.

Openness brings prosperity. Residents of Maku village moved to the comfortable and beautiful new Maku resettlement area. Facilities like roads, hospital, public service hall, and library were built.

Tang Xiaocong, who returned to the village after retiring, used his savings to buy a van, providing car-hailing services from Maku village to the township government seat day and night. His wife, Jin Maixiang, participated in tour guide training and then established a farmhouse with flowers and vegetables planted in the courtyard. A life full of happiness is coming true.

In the journey of rural revitalization, Dulongjiang has made remarkable results. In April 2022, a construction company was established; in May, a 35-kV power grid project was put into operation; by July, seven 5G base stations were put into use; in December, a black cardamom-processing modern industrial park was established. In July 2023, three charging stations were set up, welcoming new energy and ride-sharing vehicles into the Dulongjiang Gorge.

Now, a well-connected transportation system, including roads and bridges, is gradually taking shape in the Dulongjiang area. Agricultural products, represented by black cardamom, are exported to the whole country. The once remote and impoverished Dulongjiang has welcomed its vibrant present and promising future.

Source： Yunnan Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao