Well-off farmers key to building moderately prosperous society

Only when farmers live a well-off life can a society be considered moderately prosperous, said Zhang Gu, secretary of the general Party branch of Taoyuan township in Yangshan town, Huishan district, Wuxi.

During his 13 years of working as Party secretary of Taoyuan township, Zhang has lifted the township out of poverty, pushing up the its fixed income from 400,000 yuan ($57,903) in 2009 to 4.89 million yuan in 2020.

The per capita income of Taoyuan residents also increased from 14,000 yuan to 60,000 yuan over the past decade.

The Party secretary blazed a trail for achieving prosperity in Taoyuan by managing the unattended land, including idle residential land.

For example, in ancient Qiansishe village, Zhang encouraged local villagers to reform and manage Qiansishe to incentivize villagers to start businesses here. The village has also established entertainment and cultural facilities on the 4,500-meter idle residential land to develop a tourism industry.

Another village – Shannantou – is a genuine hollowed-out village with a vacancy rate as high as 80 percent.

Zhang brought in private capital to set up Shannantou Culture and Tourism Investment Co Ltd to reconstruct Shannantou into a village with a strong cultural and artistic atmosphere.

Protecting the 3,180 mu (212 hectares) of croplands, attracting various talent, and making Taoyuan a gathering place for young people and makers – Zhang's dreams for Taoyuan are gradually coming true.