Pingshang village: From isolation to model for rural vitalization

The Pingshang village. [Photo/WeChat account of Xifeng county]

Pingshang village, located in the mountainous south of Xifeng county in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, once faced challenging conditions. At an elevation of 1,200 to 1,400 meters and 17 kilometers from the county seat, its high altitude and harsh climate led to frequent food shortages. With poor infrastructure, the village struggled economically and was classified as a provincial poverty-stricken village until 2014.

Traveling from Pingshang to the county seat used to take four hours on treacherous mountain paths. In 1989, the village secured 20 boxes of dynamite, which allowed residents to carve an 8-km dirt path to the neighboring Hefeng village. This community-led effort broke Pingshang's isolation and marked the start of its transformation.

By 1999, the road had been expanded to 3.5 meters in width and improved with gravel. In 2015, Xifeng launched the Li'an-Pingshang Agri-Tourism Poverty Alleviation Project and opened the Nanshan Yizhan Park. Pingshang seized this opportunity, constructing 17 km of rural tourism roads, expanding the main route to around 6 meters wide, and upgrading the road from gravel to asphalt.

Infrastructure improved, with safe drinking water, full electricity coverage, and high-speed internet extending to every home. Additionally, fitness squares, housing renovations, and comprehensive environmental improvements enhanced village living conditions, creating a well-organized, harmonious environment.

In 2018, Pingshang's progress reached new heights when Xifeng hosted Guizhou's first "Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival" and the sixth Guiyang Agriculture Carnival. Positioned at the core of the Nanshan Rural Complex, Pingshang benefited from the festival by integrating agriculture with tourism, revitalizing local farming, increasing farmers' incomes, and establishing itself as a model in the county's poverty alleviation efforts.