Yuejia village in Rizhao, Shandong province, once a poverty-stricken and shabby village, has taken on new look and prospered in recent years thanks to Xu Chuanjiang, the village Party secretary.

Xu recalled that when he took up the reins of office in 1984, local villagers only put forward three requirements – jobs, food and even-handedness.

To help villagers raise their incomes, Xu took the lead and built more than a dozen greenhouses with the money he earned from his business.

Old dwellings in Yuejia village [Photo/dzwww.com]

Under the guidance of technicians, households in the village have contributed to greenhouse agricultural development and grown their income.

To create more job and business opportunities, the village introduced several enterprises and developed a collective economy.

"It's more convenient to work in the neighborhood," said a villager surnamed Li, an employee at the local garment workshop.

"While earning salaries from the company, we can still take care of our family and make money from the leasing of the farmland in the village."

Yuejia village has taken on a new look. [Photo/dzwww.com]

In 2007, the village invested 31.5 million yuan ($4.52 million) to build elderly apartments, which provide free services to villagers over the age of 60.

"This not only allowed the villagers to enjoy the fruits of the collective development, but also relieved the worries of their children and made them feel at ease to start their own businesses," said Xu.