CHINA DAILY Monday, September 21, 2020 | 5 CHINA

XIAOKANG@GRASSROOTS Honoring a hero POVERTY ALLEVIATION | CONGJIANG COUNTY | HANGZHOU

Editor's Note: China has under- gone profound changes in recent Promoting Miao culture years on its path to becoming a moderately prosperous society. This series tells the stories of some helps ‘last gunner tribe’ of the changes that have improved people’s lives. beat poverty in Guizhou Big data By ZHU WENQIAN and improves YANG JUN in Congjiang, Guizhou Rural tourism has helped Biasha village, known as the “last gunner Guizhou travel in tribe” in China, to emerge from poverty. Located in Congjiang county in Congjiang mountainous Guizhou province, Hangzhou CHINA DAILY Biasha’s nearly 2,800 villagers have largely held on to their By MA ZHENHUAN in Hangzhou unique traditions. ing handicrafts and opening bed- [email protected] They have used guns to hunt and-breakfast homestays, with the and protect themselves for cen- 24 souvenir shops and hostels now Hangzhou resident Zhang Qian, a turies. Villagers in Biasha, which operating in the village giving a sig- frequent business traveler between means “a place with dense trees nificant boost to locals’ incomes. Zhejiang’s provincial capital and and grass”, worship trees. A vil- Gun Shuige, 33, is one of four Wuxi in neighboring Jiangsu prov- lage consisting entirely of mem- tour guides in the village. He ince, is happy she can now take a bers of the Miao ethnic group, it speaks Mandarin and started taxi from Hangzhou East Railway Air force personnel pay tribute to General Wang Hai, a heroic pilot who fought in the War to Resist US is only 7.5 kilometers from working as a tour guide eight years Station less than 15 minutes after Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), at Babaoshan People’s Cemetery in Beijing on Saturday. Wang, downtown Congjiang. ago after taking professional train- her arrival instead of enduring the who died last month at the age of 94, was a former commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air In the past, villagers rarely com- ing courses in town. hour’s wait she faced before. Force. He was honored as a combat hero after shooting down four enemy aircraft and damaging anoth- municated with the outside world, In 2015, the village started offer- “The waiting period has been er five in about 80 battles as a member of the Chinese People’s Volunteers. SHEN JINKE / FOR CHINA DAILY restricted by traditional mores and ing regular performances for visi- greatly shortened,” the 26-year-old geographical conditions. Now, they tors three times a day, including said. “With the waiting area for pas- have become more open to society traditional dances, wedding cus- sengers taking taxis enlarged and while still maintaining some of toms and the shaving of hair with more passageways provided, the their customs, such as using sickles sickles. Besides being a tour guide, previous long lines have completely to give haircuts. Thus, Biasha Gun also narrates the performances. disappeared.” serves as a living museum showcas- “I can earn a base monthly sala- Zhang said that newly installed ing traditional Miao culture, and its ry of 3,000 yuan ($443), and make air-conditioners and a ventilation War memorial hall uniqueness has provided opportu- extra money if any travel agencies system had also made waiting for a nities for it to develop tourism. and tour groups want further taxi more comfortable. In 2014, a high-speed train ser- explanations,” Gun said. The improvements are due to the vice connected Congjiang with Meanwhile, the travel compa- efforts of the station’s management other population centers and, in ny gives 11.25 percent of annual authority, which launched a cam- reopens in Liaoning 2018, Biasha attracted more ticket revenues to villagers for paign in June to “put passengers attention when it was rated a allowing it to market their tradi- first”. It has refined management by national 4A tourist attraction. tional culture. From 2016 to 2019, using big data and grid manage- The village has since set up a visi- the payments totaled 2.46 mil- ment in its daily operations. Facility had been closed since 2014 for rates China from the DPRK, wreak- tor service center, a parking lot lion yuan, it said. First built in 1992 and enlarged in ing havoc in Dandong, formerly and various tourist reception The company is also responsible 2013, the railway station, in huge refurbishment, expansion effort called Andong. Combat aircraft facilities, while preserving its for organizing performances by Hangzhou’s Jianggan district, is one invaded Chinese airspace and authenticity. villagers and has paid a total of of Asia’s largest train hubs. Covering By WU YONG in Dandong, Liaoning Gong Shaoshan, deputy curator bombed an airport and railway sta- The growth of the tourism sec- 6.31 million yuan in salaries in the over 400,000 square meters, it han- [email protected] of the memorial hall, said the num- tion, killing civilians. tor has created more than 570 jobs four years since its establishment. dled 71.9 million passenger trips last ber of items on display has increased On Oct 19, 1950, as requested by — employing about 23 percent of Other people who work as clean- year. China’s only memorial hall fea- from over 700 to more than 1,600, the DPRK, CPV forces crossed the Biasha’s population. ers, security staff and ticket sellers turing the complete history of the and the floor area has expanded Yalu to aid the DPRK in battle until With tourist numbers increas- have earned 2.3 million yuan dur- Chinese People’s Volunteers in the from the original 5,400 square an armistice was reached in 1953. A ing, villagers have gone from being ing the same period, the company 71.9 War to Resist US Aggression and meters to 23,845 square meters. total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers farmers to becoming tour guides, said. million trips Aid Korea (1950-53), often referred “This is the place where I fought. entered the battlefield, and 197,653 performers, waiters and salespeo- were handled by the to as the Korean War in the West, I will never forget it,” Guo Guolian, of them sacrificed their lives in the ple, according to Guizhou Mysteri- Che Weiwei contributed to this Hangzhou East Railway reopened on Saturday in Liaoning an 87-year-old CPV veteran, said war. ous Congjiang Cultural Tourism, story. Station last year, with the province. while pointing at an old military “Our soldiers fought for the secu- the travel company that manages help of smart technologies. Located in the border city Dan- map in the exhibition hall. rity of their homeland and peace, the business there. Contact the writers at dong — about 280 kilometers from “Despite the outdated weapons, which won the heartfelt support of Other villagers have started sell- [email protected] “We launched a ‘digital control Pyongyang, capital of the Demo- we scored an ultimate victory the whole country. This will always cabin’ to fully apply and utilize big cratic People’s Republic of Korea — because we were not afraid of shed- be remembered,” said Zhu Yong, data resources in improving the rail- the renovated and expanded ding blood and dying while bear- former president of the CPV’s gen- way station’s management and effi- memorial hall, which offers free ing in mind the fighting spirit of eral hospital. ciency, integrating real-time digital entry to the public, consists of an defending our motherland.” The hospital — now the No 966 scenarios such as parking, transpor- exhibition hall, a memorial tower, a A chart listing the number of Hospital of the People’s Liberation tation, garbage handling and pas- national defense education park heavy weapons on both sides of the Army Joint Logistic Support Force senger control into the same and a panorama hall. conflict has drawn many visitors. — is less than 4 km from the memo- platform,” said Fang Xiaohong, Par- “The great spirit of Resist US Compared with its foes, the CPV rial hall. Between 1950 and 1954, ty secretary of the station. Aggression and Aid Korea is a man- was in an inferior position. the hospital received over 340,000 “Take the parking lots for exam- ifestation of the precious spiritual According to the chart, at the wounded soldiers and carried out ple. Now vehicles can check out wealth of the Chinese people. We beginning of the war, a division of 63,000 operations. within just five seconds thanks to the should do well what we are doing the US-led army with some 17,000 To mark the 70th anniversary of adoption of contactless parking ser- now — cherish the memory of the to 25,000 soldiers was equipped their participation in the war, Chi- vices and technologies from Alipay.” martyrs with practical actions and with 149 tanks, 35 armored vehi- na will bestow memorial medals On Friday, during e-commerce actual results, and comfort the pre- cles and 72 howitzers, while an upon CPV veterans this year. The giant Alibaba’s Apsara Conference in decessors,” Zhang Guoqing, Party infantry army of the CPV with medals are to be presented in the the town of Yunqi in Hangzhou’s chief of Liaoning province, said 50,000 soldiers had no tanks, name of the Communist Party of Xihu district, Ali Cloud released the during the reopening ceremony. armored vehicles or howitzers. China Central Committee, the core technology system for version Established in 1958 and moved The Korean War broke out in State Council and the Central Mili- 3.0 of its City Brain, aiming to provide to its current site in 1993, the June 1950, only eight months after tary Commission. more reliable and updated solutions memorial hall closed in late 2014 the founding of the People’s Repub- Tourists participate during a Miao ethnic cultural performance in to urban management authorities for massive refurbishment and lic of China, and fighting soon Jiang Zhongguo and Lin Yajie Biasha village, Congjiang, Guizhou province, this month. dealing with emergencies such as expansion. reached the Yalu River that sepa- contributed to this story. YAO XU / CHINA DAILY typhoons and thunderstorms. Through the holographic digital technologies it has developed, the system is able to encrypt and inte- Shanghai launches 3-year plan to enhance care of city’s toddlers grate two-dimensional and three-di- mensional moving and static elements, thus building a virtual By HE QI of such centers by communities, development of infants and young sity of Technology’s Gengdan “digital metropolis”. and LIN SHUJUAN in Shanghai enterprises and institutions. children and parenting skills, Institute. Based on the new technologies, “Children under 3 years old are Chen added. The bases will also Wang Hui, an assistant research- urban management authorities will A three-year plan to enhance the most vulnerable group in socie- Children have fewer provide high-quality medical and er at the Shanghai Academy of be able to emulate and forecast inci- care of toddlers in Shanghai has ty. Good child care is related to the partners to play with healthcare services. Social Sciences’ Institute of Sociolo- dents and their likely aftermath, been welcomed by parents and healthy growth of children, the vital Experts say the plan is a model gy, agreed, adding that such poli- which will support real-time applauded by experts as an exam- interests of families and the than in the past, for dealing with two challenges cies can also promote the healthy responses. ple for the rest of the country to improvement of the quality of which has become faced by China: a quickly graying physical and mental development The technologies are already follow. urban life,” Chen said. society and a falling birthrate. Offi- of children. helping to monitor and control traf- The action plan, released by the Following the introduction of the a source of distress cial data shows the share of the “Due to the independence and fic on the 36-kilometer-long Shanghai municipal government universal second-child policy in for many young population aged 65 years and above separation of living space in cities, Hangzhou Bay Bridge, which links on Wednesday, aims to offer a sys- 2016, Shanghai has been witness- parents.” increased from 3.7 percent in 1970 children have fewer partners to Hangzhou and Ningbo and handles tematic approach to improving ing demographic changes similar to 11.5 percent last year. By 2040, play with than in the past, which 48,000 vehicles a day, said Zeng public care of those aged 3 and to those in the rest of the country, Wang Hui, assistant researcher projections suggest it will climb to has become a source of distress for Zhenyu, Ali Cloud’s general manag- below, Shanghai Vice-Mayor Chen Chen said, with around half of the at the Shanghai Academy of 24 percent. In contrast, after a brief many young parents,” Wang said. er for digital and smart industries Qun told a news briefing. It is the city’s new births being second chil- Social Sciences’ Institute of increase in 2016, new births have “Therefore, these policies also and research. first plan of its kind to be intro- dren. Sociology dropped each year, with the 14.6 embody a humanistic approach to If there is a traffic accident on the duced by a provincial-level govern- The challenge of raising two chil- million last year the lowest number city building.” bridge, the City Brain will notice it ment. dren in big cities — which comes parenting guidance station, provid- since 1961. Shanghai resident Jiang Shan, immediately and provide the best Shanghai will establish at least from the pressure of finding suita- ing at least one door-to-door gui- Surveys suggest time and finan- who has a kindergarten-age son solution to traffic congestion in the 150 care centers for children too ble housing and the cost of raising dance service for each family in the cial concerns are the main reasons and a 1-year-old daughter, said the quickest and most efficient manner, young for kindergarten in the com- children, along with any mental community with a newborn, and at couples are unwilling to have chil- plan is a godsend. She expects to Zeng said. ing three years, according to the health problems they might have — least six offline guidance services dren, especially second ones. send her daughter to a day care cen- The City Brain was first released plan, and by 2022 more than half has made public support for child for the families of infants and “Welfare policies for prekinder- ter at a reasonable cost with the at the Apsara Conference, a digital the city’s kindergartens will be able raising imperative. The plan, which young children in need each year,” garten children can relieve some increasing availability of such facili- innovation showcase in Hangzhou, to offer day care services for chil- also stresses the need for parental he said. of the pressure on families who ties across the city. in October 2016. At last year’s con- dren under age 3. guidance to ensure the healthy At the same time, each district intend to have children,” said “Taking care of two children is ference, Ali Cloud announced that it The plan also encourages district growth of children, is aimed at will build at least one develop- Zhang Jing, executive director of just too stressful,” Jiang said. would extend the scope of the sys- governments to provide venues, meeting that growing demand, ment base for infants and young the Research Center for Family tem from traffic to more areas of reduce rents and offer other subsi- Chen said. children to promote and popular- Development and Social Psycho- Contact the writers at urban management. dies to support the establishment “Each street and town will build a ize basic knowledge about the logical Services at Beijing Univer- [email protected]