Remote Yunnan village waits for highway, other infrastructural development

To go from Tuoping Village in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Region, Yunnan province to any larger city, one must walk across a drawbridge and climb over a steep mountain. This trip takes almost three hours, but it is the only route until a highway is constructed.

A decent house can barely be found in the village, let alone modern appliances. Some villagers cannot even afford shoes. Because there is no highway to the "outside world," villagers are forced to rely only on the agricultural products they themselves grow.

Wang Xiaobo, a poverty alleviation worker, said that 46 Nu ethnic minority households live in the village, and 70 percent are illiterate or semiliterate. The poverty rate is nearly 80 percent.

According to the local government, Tuoping Village is expected to be relocated in 2017. Infrastructure including an entertainment center, solar-powered streetlights and a health center will be provided, based on the stated plan. Meanwhile, villagers will be trained in livestock breeding, planting and other jobs in cities, helping Tuoping's residents to overcome poverty.

Li Xuecong, a 9-year-old boy in the village, said he hopes to move down the mountain to get a better education. Li said he will study hard to get into a university in Beijing, which will allow him to support his hometown after graduation.