Poverty-alleviation relocation offers new life in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture

Once-impoverished villagers living in remote areas of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province are enjoying improved livelihoods and higher incomes, thanks to the country's poverty alleviation relocation program.

Yuexi County in Liangshan prefecture, was one of the last 52 counties removed from the poverty list in the country. Before the Spring Festival in 2020, over 6,000 people of the Yi ethnic group from 38 villages in Yuexi County were relocated from high-altitude mountainous areas to the Gratitude Community in the county seat as part of the poverty alleviation relocation programs. The relocation program has provided the residents with better living conditions and more job opportunities.

Mose Wujiamu, secretary of the community, along with the community staff members, was going door to door to help the residents calculate their annual income, to ensure that no one falls back into poverty.

According to Wujiamu, the community manages the households using a color-coding system based on their income levels, with red, yellow, blue and green cards. Households with red cards are those at the highest risk of returning to poverty and are prioritized for assistance.

"If annual income is less than 10,000 yuan (around 1.364 U.S. dollars), the household is a red card holder and needs special attention," she explained.

To help the community's over 6,000 residents maintain stable incomes, Mose Wujiamu actively provides job recommendations for them.

"More than 700 people will go to Ningbo after the traditional New Year of Yi ethnic group. Now, there are available positions in electronics factories and construction sites. Employment opportunities are currently being coordinated," said Shi Qiang, director of the Yuexi County's employment bureau.

The region has been making efforts to increase income for those who have escaped poverty, such as promoting employment. In a new round of cooperation between eastern and western regions, Ningbo, in east China's Zhejiang Province, has been paired up to assist Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, by offering over 6,000 job opportunities to Yuexi County every year.

Encouraged by the increased income, more and more relocated people have changed their mindset. Over 2,600 people in the community have opted to become migrant workers and are now employed outside their hometown. Ethnic Yi women, most of whom used to stay at home all year round, are offered training and jobs, allowing them to increase their incomes and improve their lives.

One such example is Xiatiexier, a mother of three with a leg disability. Inspired by community workers, she participated in a training course on Yi embroidery, one of the most ancient traditional handicrafts, and now is engaged in the local embroidery industry.

"The feeling is just too overwhelming. I'm so grateful to them the community cadres. Before, I was too self-deprecating. But now, I'm a completely different person," she said.

Over the years, the per capita income of Yi people in the community has been increasing year by year, reaching over 13,000 yuan (around 1,773 U.S. dollars) in 2024.

Poverty-alleviation relocation offers new life in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture

Chinese residents and tourists lined up on the street in Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday to say farewell to a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, as they set off for the United States, hoping the bears will help bring China and the United States closer.

Before their departure from the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding held a farewell ceremony for Ping Ping, a sturdy yet agile male panda born on March 17, 2020, and Fu Shuang, a chubby, vivacious female born on Oct. 18, 2020. Many residents and tourists gathered to wave goodbye to the pandas.

The chartered FedEx cargo plane carrying Ping Ping and Fu Shuang landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on Sunday morning.

The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

"It's definitely a positive boost for China-U.S. relations and cooperation," said Zhao Ruixiang, a tourist.

Some tourists said pandas symbolize peace and friendship in the hearts of the Chinese people.

"Giant pandas hold a very special place in the hearts of us Chinese people. They're a national treasure. And we've seen panda exchanges with many other countries -- like Germany, Japan and South Korea," said Ma Yuqing, a tourist.

"I feel proud, of course. In my opinion, pandas symbolize peace. For Chinese people, pandas are a kind of cultural connection and emotional symbol," said Liu Chao, another tourist.

Giant panda ties between China and the United States go back a long way. In April 1972, two giant pandas -- Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, arrived in the United States following the visit of then U.S. President Richard Nixon to China in February the same year.

More than 8,000 Americans welcomed Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing in the rain. In their first month on public display, they attracted more than one million visitors. Giant pandas have since helped foster friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

China-U.S. giant panda protection cooperation is one of China's longest-running and most far-reaching international wildlife protection initiatives. In 1994, the CWCA signed an agreement with the San Diego Zoo, officially launching the cooperation program.

Over the past three decades, the two sides have conducted joint research in key areas including panda behavior, nutrition, genetics and disease prevention, achieving significant breakthroughs in breeding techniques. Through the cooperation, pandas in the United States have successfully bred and raised 17 cubs to date -- six in San Diego, four in Washington and seven in Atlanta.

In 2024, China and the United States launched a new round of giant panda protection cooperation, as more pandas successively traveled to the United States.

Chinese residents, tourists say farewell to giant pandas heading to U.S.