A village with the Midas touch
By Wang Xiang |
December 4, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ALMOST 3,000 residents in a Jiangsu Province village have struck gold, thanks to their village officials.
Each family in Changjiang Village in Jiangyin City has been given 100 grams of gold and 100 grams of silver worth over 40,000 yuan (US$6,000), said Xu Ahong, the village deputy Party chief.
Ding Xingfen, one of the lucky villagers, told yesterday's People's Daily online, "My grandson liked those sparkling bars, he just can not stop laughing."
Eighty kilograms of gold has already been given out, and more will come. The village promised that every family would be given half a kilogram of both precious metals by 2012, to celebrate the 40th birthday of Changjiang's village-run public company.
The gift unleashed a wave of envy after the news appeared on Chinese news websites.
The top comment under one story read: "Am I dreaming? I'm quite sure I am."
But the gold and silver bars were just the latest in a chain of surprise gifts given to residents by the village, said Xu Yingcai, a Changjiang resident.
Other free gifts enjoyed by the village's families included a 200,000 yuan villa in 2005, 100,000 yuan in cash in 2008, and 50,000 yuan in shares in the village's company that generate dividends of over 4,000 yuan for each household a year. Not to mention other benefits such as the monthly 3 tons of free water, 8 kilowatt-hours of free electricity, and an unlimited amount of fuel for each person.
The village authorities also give each resident 50 yuan shopping cards every month that they can spend in the village's restaurants.
The outrageously rich Changjiang Village was no different to other countryside areas in China 30 years ago, with their residents much poorer than their city cousins.
But the situation changed after the founding of village-run Xin Chang Jiang Group that taps ports logistics, steelmakers, chemicals and real estate. Every villager is a shareholder in the public conglomerate which is expected to have a turnover of over 45 billion yuan this year.
Each family in Changjiang Village in Jiangyin City has been given 100 grams of gold and 100 grams of silver worth over 40,000 yuan (US$6,000), said Xu Ahong, the village deputy Party chief.
Ding Xingfen, one of the lucky villagers, told yesterday's People's Daily online, "My grandson liked those sparkling bars, he just can not stop laughing."
Eighty kilograms of gold has already been given out, and more will come. The village promised that every family would be given half a kilogram of both precious metals by 2012, to celebrate the 40th birthday of Changjiang's village-run public company.
The gift unleashed a wave of envy after the news appeared on Chinese news websites.
The top comment under one story read: "Am I dreaming? I'm quite sure I am."
But the gold and silver bars were just the latest in a chain of surprise gifts given to residents by the village, said Xu Yingcai, a Changjiang resident.
Other free gifts enjoyed by the village's families included a 200,000 yuan villa in 2005, 100,000 yuan in cash in 2008, and 50,000 yuan in shares in the village's company that generate dividends of over 4,000 yuan for each household a year. Not to mention other benefits such as the monthly 3 tons of free water, 8 kilowatt-hours of free electricity, and an unlimited amount of fuel for each person.
The village authorities also give each resident 50 yuan shopping cards every month that they can spend in the village's restaurants.
The outrageously rich Changjiang Village was no different to other countryside areas in China 30 years ago, with their residents much poorer than their city cousins.
But the situation changed after the founding of village-run Xin Chang Jiang Group that taps ports logistics, steelmakers, chemicals and real estate. Every villager is a shareholder in the public conglomerate which is expected to have a turnover of over 45 billion yuan this year.
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