* The story of Minning Town in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region began in 1996, when the Chinese government launched a "pairing-up" initiative, linking east China's Fujian Province with Ningxia for targeted poverty alleviation.

* Once a small village of a few thousand residents, Minning has become a modern township of over 60,000 people, its streets and facilities reflecting decades of targeted poverty alleviation and development.

* Minning is just one of the many beneficiaries of China's east-west collaboration for poverty alleviation, which pairs developed eastern provinces with less-developed western regions to share resources, expertise and investment.

YINCHUAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nestled at the base of the Helan Mountains, rows of lush vineyards line the Yellow River, showcasing the transformation of Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Once a small village of a few thousand residents, Minning Town has become a modern township of over 60,000 people, its streets and facilities reflecting decades of targeted poverty alleviation and development.

"Per capita disposable income has soared from 500 yuan (about 70 U.S. dollars) at the time of relocation to 19,000 yuan in 2024. Our people now live lives they once could not even imagine," said Huang Mengqin, a local guide born and raised in the town, who proudly showed visiting tourists around Minning and highlighted the town's transformation over the past three decades.

COOPERATION SPURS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

The story of Minning began in 1996, when the Chinese government launched a "pairing-up" initiative, linking east China's Fujian Province with Ningxia for targeted poverty alleviation.

Construction of "Minning Village" started in 1997, sparking a cross-provincial effort spanning more than 2,000 kilometers and nearly three decades, through which the small village has grown into a modern township.

For residents like 61-year-old Wang Sheng, one of the first-generation settlers, the relocation was life-changing. "More than 20 years have passed, and our lives today are far beyond what we once thought possible," he said.

Previously, his hometown in Xiji County, part of the rugged Xihaigu region, suffered from infertile land, frequent droughts and widespread poverty, leaving families struggling for basic sustenance.

Starting in 1996, over 60,000 residents left the mountains to build new homes along the Yellow River, where entire villages rose within a few years.

Leveraging funds, technology and expertise from eastern China, combined with local agricultural and industrial development, the township rapidly evolved into a hub of economic activity.

To date, 229 officials have been sent from Fujian to Ningxia for paired assistance, while Ningxia has dispatched 362 officials to Fujian for temporary assignments and professional exchanges.

Officials from both regions worked together to establish industrial parks, training programs and cooperative platforms, gradually turning aid into sustainable self-reliance.

This effort has enabled young locals like Ma Jingdong to seize new opportunities. As a post-90s native of Minning Town, Ma grew up there and later started a business in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with an annual output value of 200 million yuan.

This year, he secured 50 mu (about 3.33 hectares) in the industrial park in Minning to launch a drone assembly project, aiming to start production by year-end.

"As a true Minning local, I am both a witness and a beneficiary of the cooperation. The industrial park brings opportunities right to our doorstep, and we have every reason to seize them," Ma said.

LOCAL EMPLOYMENT BRINGS INDEPENDENCE

At a government-supported e-commerce workshop in Minning, 32-year-old Ma Yan now hosts live-stream sales of local products such as goat milk, goji berries, and herbal teas.

Just a few years ago, she rarely left her village and could neither speak Mandarin fluently nor use a computer.

"In the past, I stayed home taking care of children and doing housework. I had no awareness of seeking employment," she said.

After joining the workshop in 2019, she received literacy and digital training, learning to operate smartphones and computers, and became part of a team of over 30 women known as the "Minning Skilled Housewives."

Their efforts generate millions of yuan in annual sales, while also opening markets for local specialty products from Fujian and Ningxia alike.

Her story reflects a broader trend: relocated villages across Minning have seen women gain skills, confidence, and financial independence.

From simple aid to self-reliance, local initiatives such as wineries, photovoltaic farms, and e-commerce workshops have provided residents with stable employment and opportunities to build meaningful careers at their doorstep.

"My life used to be like a blank sheet of paper with no goals. Now it is full of color, and I have dreams," Ma Yan said. "I hope more women join our team and have even more exciting lives."

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION

The ecological transformation of Minning Town is a win-win for industry and the environment, with grapes playing a key role.

In 2007, Fujian entrepreneur Chen Deqi secured the rights to 100,000 mu of wasteland at the foot of Helan Mountain to grow grapes. Over a decade later, more than 40,000 mu of premium wine grapes have been planted, and over 3,000 relocated residents have been employed.

In recent years, Minning's wine industry has boomed, with over 100,000 mu of vineyards, 20 wineries, and an annual production of 26,000 tonnes of wine, worth about 326 million yuan.

The town has developed six pillar industries: wine, tourism, facility-based agriculture, green energy, manufacturing and e-commerce.

Today, Minning has earned a new title -- "Green Power Town" -- as it harnesses green energy, smart grids, and sustainable consumption to spur economic growth and rural revitalization.

At the heart of this transformation is an energy storage station capable of completing one full charge-and-discharge cycle each day, storing up to 200,000 kWh -- enough to meet the daily electricity needs of 24,000 households -- helping the grid balance peak and off-peak demand while improving overall efficiency.

"Green Power Town accelerates Minning's transition to clean, low-carbon development and enables high-quality growth in smart manufacturing, food processing, and digital economy sectors," said Zhao Chao, head of Minning Town.

Minning is just one of the many beneficiaries of China's east-west collaboration for poverty alleviation, which pairs developed eastern provinces with less-developed western regions to share resources, expertise and investment.

According to official data, by the end of October 2024, eight eastern provinces in China had provided 22.89 billion yuan in aid to 10 western provincial regions, exchanged nearly 3,000 officials and 24,000 technical experts, attracted 140.9 billion yuan in corporate investment, facilitated 112.9 billion yuan in agricultural sales, and helped 815,000 rural workers find jobs.

As the real-life model behind the Chinese TV drama "Minning Town," the township in Ningxia has become a vivid example of China's successful poverty alleviation, and just as the drama has captivated audiences in Africa and across the Global South, its story will continue to be celebrated.  ■

(Video reporter: Lyu Ze; video editors: Wang Houyuan, Zheng Qingbin)