Twenty years ago, Daicun village, located in Lanling county in the prefecture-level city of Linyi in East China's Shandong province, was a labelled as something of a "backward" place, with a total debt of 3.8 million yuan ($530,000).

Wang Chuanxi, elected as village Party chief in 1999 at the tender age of 31, has helped lead locals in developing modern agriculture and pursuing prosperity and happiness.

Wang Chuanxi, the Party chief of Daicun village in Shandong province [Photo/iqilu.com]

Through land circulation, public security and environmental improvements and other measures, Wang and other village cadres ramped up efforts to improve the local infrastructure and environment, foster modern agriculture and boost rural tourism.

In 2005, Daicun turned to experts from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences for help. The experts divided the village into sundry functional sections including those designated for planting, raising livestock, manufacturing, commerce and green agriculture and horticulture.

The Party chief also invited tourism development experts from Shandong to make the best of Daicun's natural resources.

In 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture and the China National Tourism Administration established the Lanling National Agricultural Park in Daicun, the first of its kind in China. It has sections for agritech displays, produce picking experiences and holiday activities.

The park receives more than 1 million visitors a year and provides over 200 training sessions for farmers to teach them the best practices of modern farming.

By 2019, Daicun had become a model village in rural revitalization, with a total output value of 2.6 billion yuan and a per capita net income of local villagers reaching 69,000 yuan.

A panoramic view of Daicun village [Photo/iqilu.com]

"As Daicun gets richer and the lives of residents have improved, the village is becoming an increasingly attractive place to live," Wang said.

"But I was concerned about surrounding villages, which still lacked development."

In 2018, Wang proposed a construction project including industrial parks, residential communities and other infrastructure. The project, which involved 11 villages nearby Daicun, planned to integrate the surrounding resources, improve the environment and boost social development.

With policy and funding support from the provincial government, the project is under full swing.

"The project will inject new vitality to Daicun and surrounding villages and lead villagers to enjoy well-to-do lives," Wang said.

A food street in Daicun village attracts many visitors. [Photo/iqilu.com]