Peizhai’sresidentialarea.In2006,PeiChunlianginvestedUS$4.4milliontolevelthebarrenmountainssouthofthevillageandbuildnewhomesformorethan500households.Twoyearslater,localsbidfarewelltomuddwellingsthatbarelyshelteredthemfromheavyrainandwind,andmovedintonewhouses.In2005,villagersinvitedlocal-bornentrepreneurPeiChunliang,whowasworkingelsewhere,toreturntoheadthevillagecommittee.Sincethen,Peihasledhisfellowvillagerstodigdeepwells,erectgreenhousesandbuildcommercialstreetsandreservoirs.Bytheendof2016,annualpercapitaincomeinPeizhaireachedUS$1,450.In2010,thankstoplanningandpromotionbythetownshipgovernment,23neighboringvillagesgraduallyunitedaroundPeizhaitoformtoday’sPeizhaiCommunity,hometoover15,000people.
FightingDrought
Inthepast,droughtconsumedPeizhaialmosteveryyearandwasespeciallycruelduringspringtime.Whenwaterinlocalcellarsrandry,residentswerelefttoborrowfromneighbors.Thewholevillagedependedonamanualwinding-ropewellover30metersdeep.Thewellwaterwashard.Anewaluminumpotusedtoboilthewaterwasusuallycoveredinmineraldepositsinlessthanamonth.
WhenPeiChunliangreturned,hefirstbuilta530-meter-deepwellfordailyuseanda5,000-cubic-meterpoolatacostofmorethanUS$1.3million,whichcameoutofhisownpocket.However,thenewwelldidn’tprovideasmuchwaterastheyhoped.Peiproposedchannelingwater100kilometersfromtheShimenReservoirandstoringitintheirnewreservoir.Sincethedevelopmentofefficientagriculturerequiresabundantwater,Peizhai’sPartycommittee,villagers’committee,andvillagers’representativesmadeaboldjointdecisiontodigadeepnaturalwellintheoldareaofPeizhaiandbuildareservoirtochannelwaterfromanotherlargereservoir100kilometersaway.
Beforeconstructiononthereservoirbrokeground,aroundUS$140,000wasraisedfromlocalsanddonations,includingaUS$11donationfromkidsofZhangcunCentralElementarySchool.
Thenewreservoir,fullofhopemorethanwater,facedgreatchallengesinitsfirstsummer.Heavyrainpushedthepoorlyprotecteddamfoundationdozensofmetersaway.Watchingtheirpainstakingeffortsacrossmonthswasheddownthedrain,thevillagerswereheartbroken,andsomeevensuggestedtheygiveuptheefforts.PeimobilizedeveryPartymemberandofficialinthevillagetogodoor-to-doortoencourageresidentstopersist.“Asavillageleader,IhadtobefirmonissuesonwhichIknewwewererightandhelpotherskeepthefaith,”saysPei.
Inlate2013,constructionofthePeizhaiReservoir,withstoragecapacityof800,000cubicmeters,wasfinallycompleted.Vil-lagerssetofffirecrackerstocelebrate,andthenewstructurebegansupplyingwatertomorethan30,000peopleinPeizhaiandneighboringvillagesand1,333hectaresoffarmlandandorchards.
DoortoWealth
In2006,PeiinvestedUS$4.4milliontolevelbarrenmountainssouthofthevillageandbuildnewhomesformorethan500households.Twoyearslater,localsbidfarewelltoclaydwellingsthatbarelyshelteredthemfromheavyrainandwind,andmovedintonewhouses.Sincethen,Peihasshiftedhisfocustoguaranteeingandimprovinglocalstandardsofliving.
Peizhaipeoplehavesurvivedbyfarmingforgenerations,andagricultureremainstightlyintertwinedwiththeirspirituallivesasmuchasitismaterially.PeiChunliangunderstoodthisfactoraswellasanyone.In2010,40hectaresoflandinoldPeizhaiVillagewasreclaimedandfittedwithsolarandgeothermalgreenhousestocultivatevegetablesandflowers,whichcouldenablegrowerstoearnahundredtimesasmuchasgrowinggrain.However,thenew,exoticequipmentintimidatedthevillagers.
Tocalmvillagers’worries,Peitwiceescortedabout30villagerstotheirneighboringprovince,Shandong,towitnessitsadvancedgreenhouse-basedagriculturesysteminaction.Uponseeingtheoperationsoftheirprosperousneighbor,somemindswerechanged,butothersremainedreluctant.BackinPeizhai,Partymemberstooktheleadingreenhousecultivation.Tohelpvillagers,PeiLongxiang,deputysecretaryofthePeizhaiPartyCommittee,establishedaprofessionalcooperativeforvegetableandflowerplantationtofacilitatemutualaidbetweenfarmers.Thecooperativeprovidedfarmerswithseedsandplantingtechnologiesaswellassalesservices.Agriculturalspecialistswereinvitedtoguidelocalfarmers.Now,efficientagricultureinthePeizhaiCommunitycoversabout100hectares,upfrom17hectaresin2010.Itfeatures750greenhousesofvariouskindsandparticipationofover1,200villagers.
Evenafterthevillage’sagriculturaldevelopmentbeganbooming,itscentralcommercialstreetremaineddilapidated.Thebumpy,cracked,seven-meter-wideroadwasalwayscrowded.Peizhai’sPartycommittee,villagers’committeeandvillagers’representativesagreedtobulldozethebeat-upstreetandexpanditswidthto25meters.Shopsweretobemovedintonewaccommodationsaboutthesamesizeastheoldstructures.Someshopkeeperswhohadbuiltnewstructuresonlyafewyearsearlierwerenotwillingtogoandvoicedstrongopposition.
PeiQingli,amemberfromthevillagers’committeewhooversawcommercialstreetmanagement,hadalottosay:“FamiliesofmanyPartymembersownedshopsandevenIranasmallbusinesssellingdaily-usecommodities.Myfamilyopposedthedemolitionproject,butIpersuadedthemtogiveitachance.Wecan’tattractinvestorswithoutimprovingthebusinessenvironment.Wehavetomakesacrificestogetbusinessopportunities.”WhenPartymembersinthevillagetooktheleadandstartedtearingdowntheirownshops,theothervillagersbegantofollowvoluntarily.
Theoldstreetwassweptupintothedustsofbulldozers.Soon,over900modernshopslinedabroadnewavenue.Supermarkets,restaurants,beautysalons,anddanceclubsopenedoneafteranother.Inaflash,Peizhai’scommercialstreetbecamethemostbustlingareainZhangcunTownship.
TheentrancetoPeizhaiCommunity.
Localseniorsrelaxinthesunshineinfrontoftheirhomes.
PeiChunliang(right)tastespersimmoninalocal’shome.
Alocalkids’storeonPeizhai’scommercialstreet.Thetwo-storybusinesssellsproductsformothersandchildrenonthefirstfloor,andprovidesababybathserviceonthesecondfloor.Accordingtotheowner,hisannualincomefromtheshopisaboutUS$22,000.
AtthelocalSweetPotatoNoodlesFestival,twonoodlemakersareproducingthefood.SweetpotatoesareoneofthemajorfoodcropsinPeizhai,andsweetpotatonoodlesareapopularlocalspecialty.
InagreenhouseforrearinggoldfishinPeizhaiCommunity,alocalholdsapictureofthegreenhouseunderconstruction.
AftertheSweetPotatoNoodlesFestivalconcludes,alocalholdsapictureofthesamearea,whichusedtobebarrenland.
TwokidsholdapictureofthePeizhaiReservoirunderconstructioninfrontofthesite.Inlate2013,constructionofthePeizhaiReservoir,withastoragecapacityof800,000cubicmeters,wasfinallycompleted,andlocalvillagerssoonbegantochannelwaterfromSanjiaokouReservoirsome100kilometersaway.Morethan30,000peopleinPeizhaiandneighboringvillages,aswellas1,333hectaresoffarmlandandorchards,havebenefitedfromthereservoir.HealthoverWealth
Adecadeago,thewholevillagewasstrugglingsomuchtomeetbasicfoodandclothingneedsthatmanyPeizhaivillagerscouldn’tevenaffordvaccinatingtheirkidsatapriceofoneU.S.dollarperinjection.LackofmodernmedicalandhealthknowledgehasresultedinnumeroustragediesinruralChina.InPeizhai,highbloodpressurerelatedprematuredeathswerealltoocommon.“ForruralChinesepeople,thedeathofaworking-ageadultcancausethecollapseofawholefamily,”lamentsPeiChunliang.Toavoidsuchtragedies,PeizhaiVillagepaintedhealthinformationonwallsandbuiltsportsfacilitieslikebasketballcourtsandpingpongtables.Everyyear,doctorsfrombigcitiesareinvitedtodonatetheirtimeandskilltoprovidefreehealthexaminationsforvillagers.Recentyearshavebroughtajumpinlongevityinthevillage,withseniorsbreezingpastage80inaplacewhere70wasonceafeat.
Tomaintainasanitarylivingenvironment,Peizhaihiresfivepeopletohandlesanitationwork,wasteclassificationandrecycling.Partymembersandvillageofficialssprayherballiquidsaroundthevillagetowardoffmosquitoesandotherinsects.Currently,thevillageisbuildingasewagetreatmentplantdesignedtorecycledomesticwastewaterandstoreitinthereservoirtobeusedforirrigation.
PeiChunliangconsidersspiritualhealthjustasimperativeasphysicalhealth.Whenvillagers’materiallivesimprove,soshouldtheirculturallives.Peizhai’s“culturalcorridor”featureswiderangingperformancesfromTuesdaytoSaturday.ElderlyfansofHenanOperafromthroughouttheregioncanfrequentlybeseengatheringthere.EvenoutsidemunicipalarttroupesoftenvisitPeizhaitoperform.Andlocalchildrenreceive“bonus”classesinsinging,dancingandpaintingfromtwodozenuniversitystudentswhovisitthevillageeverysummerandwintertoteach.
FutureDirection
PeiChunlianghasservedasadeputyoftheNationalPeople’sCongress,thesupremeorganofstatepowerinChina,fornineconsecutiveyearssincehiselectionin2008.Everyyear,hetakesmotionsonruralconstructiontotheGreatHallofthePeopleandbringsbackthelatestgovernmentreporttohisfellowvillagers.
CoordinatingwithChina’s13thFive-YearPlan(2016-2020),Peizhaihasdevelopeditsownvillagedevelopmentplanforthenextfewyearsafteropendiscussions.Alongwithplantationoffruitorchards,agendaitemsincludeintroducinge-commerce,developinglocaltourismandredtourism—toursofChina’srevolutionarysitesandlandmarks.Thankstoaspecialgovernmentalgrant,thePeizhaiCommunityhiredagriculturalspecialiststoexplorecultivationofexperimentalvarietiesof14differentfruittrees.Ifthisprojectyieldsresults,theeconomicgainscouldexceedthoseofthegreenhousesandfurtherimprovelocallives.
Ateveryannualvillagers’meetingbeforetheLunarNewYear,Peizhaipeoplereflectontheiraccomplishmentsinthepastyearandsetthegoalsforthenext.“Wewanteveryonetohaveaclearideaofourfuture,”assertsPeiChunliang.“Withunitedmindsandactions,anythingispossible.”
InfrontofavegetablegreenhouseinPeizhaiCommunity,alocalholdsapictureofthesamesite,wheretheoldresidentialareausedtostand.
InfrontofashoponPeizhaiCommunity’scommercialstreet,alocalholdsapictureofthestreetunderconstruction.