Highway to opportunity ends centuries of isolation
Print Edition
For centuries, the only connection between Mashuping and the outside world was a narrow meandering path deep in the mountains.
Now, a new highway has ended the isolation for residents of the village in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
It takes about five minutes to walk from Mashuping to the Yanhuang Highway, which stretches 828.5 kilometers along the west bank of the Yellow River. The highway, which cost 6.9 billion yuan (US$1 billion), will benefit more than 2 million people.
In the past, construction materials could not be easily transported into the village, so many villagers lived in cave houses. Children had to walk for hours through the mountains to get to school. If a villager became ill, they would be carried by stretcher to the nearest road, where they could be taken to hospital by car.
The lack of infrastructure meant there were no business opportunities. Fruit would rot on trees unable to be sent to market. Due to the isolation and poverty, men struggled to find wives willing to move to the village.
“When I got married more than 20 years ago, I was brought to the village on the back of a mule. Ever since, I have regretted my decision,” said Shi Bianrong.
A Chinese proverb says: “If you want to get rich, you must first build roads.” The Yanhuang Highway promises to provide more opportunities for villagers.
Some plan to open guest houses or stores beside the highway. Others intend to raise poultry or start other businesses.
Villager Fu Changhong, 44, has just purchased a smartphone to learn more about the outside world. He plans to open a guesthouse.
He also wants to visit the famous Hukou Waterfall, just 20 kilometers away, yet few villagers have seen it.
“In the past, we had to travel more than 200 kilometers through mountain ravines to get there. Now it takes less than an hour,” Fu said.
Poor transport infrastructure has caused China’s west to lag behind eastern regions in terms of economic competitiveness.
The central government unveiled a national strategy to accelerate economic growth in the inland west in 1999, including the building of a network of highways, railways and airports.
Shaanxi now has around 5,000 kilometers of expressways.
The Belt and Road initiative, proposed in 2013, aims to link the economies of dozens of countries, propelling growth and social development.
Building more roads, railways and airports has become a necessity for China’s west along the ancient Silk Road.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
