People living in impoverished conditions now have the chance to move to new homes in Huishui county, Guizhou province.

Huishui, Qiannan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture is home to several ethnic groups, including the Miao, Bouyei, Zhuang and Sui. To improve the living conditions of people in the mountainous regions of Guizhou, the county has set up Mingtian New Area, a new poverty relief relocation site.

Since its construction in Dec 2015, more than 4,000 impoverished residents have relocated to Mingtian New Area to enjoy a much more convenient lifestyle.

“I had to walk for one hour to go to school, and two to three hours to reach the hospital. Now, the school and the hospital are very near my new home,” said Luo Haili. She used to live in the same room with her sister and brother, but now has her own bedroom. “The house was already equipped with a television, sofa and beds when we moved in,” she added.

Adjacent to the county’s economic development zone, the site also provides more work opportunities for the newly relocated residents. Jobs are available at nearby enterprises, allowing more money to be made closer to home.

“We have carried out employment training for the villagers before relocating them to the new village,” explained Liu Hekui, an official in charge of the relocation work. According to him, approximately 900 people have new jobs thanks to the relocation and each household can make an annual income of 24,000 yuan ($3,494).

Edited by Zachary Dye