The Rising Town of the Qinling Mountain Range
An investigation to a poverty-stricken county in central China.
In 2015, all member states of the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable development goals to achieve a better future for mankind, which is The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The first of all agendas is poverty. Even though poverty has been reduced at an objective rate, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization, “More than 700 million people, or 10% of the world population, still live in extreme poverty. Surviving on less than US$1.90 a day”, and “as of 2018, 55% of the world’s population have no access to social protection”. (un.org)
The People’s Republic of China, one of the 5 parliament members of the United Nations Security Council has made significant contributions to reduce poverty. Under the encouragement and guidance of the central government, the number of people living under $5.50 dollars a day reduced 4.3% in just 3 years and according to South China Morning Post, Jiangsu province will soon become the first province in China to reach total elimination of poverty with only 17 current households still suffering from low-income. (Orange Wang on South China Morning Post)
On the other hand, the rest of the poverty exists in places with complex geological features. These places have rich natural resources, advanced ecological systems, and rare terrain, making the villages in the areas difficult to connect with the rest of the world. To counter this problem, China has implemented a plan so-called “Accurate Poverty Targeting” in those areas. Although the Chinese government has made unremarkable contributions in reducing poverty and has given an enormous amount of resources to ensure a stable income above minimum wage for the entire population, the calls for environmental protection and globalization is still a vulnerable point in the education systems of poverty counties.
- A Trip To Foping
During the summer of 2019, I went with the guidance of the local government to the county of Foping, of the city Hanzhong. It was very surprising to see the real condition and the environment of the town. Located deep in the Qinling mountain range, Foping’s geography limited its development for years, making the residence of the town rely on natural resources, and is now one of the poor counties. Many people have expected the town to be poor, dirty and dangerous. However, reality differs from expectations. Connected to a high-speed railway, which can transport people to any major cities in China within hours, Foping is just like other average Chinese counties. Rounds are cement, public lights are LED, and apartments are newly built with modern designs. The unstoppable change that this town had gone through in just a few years under the “Accurate Poverty Targeting” program from the government in terms of public facilities is shocking, and it is for sure that the living conditions of those people are no different to average rural areas in the world.
The government spends a recognizable amount of subsidies on urbanization and housing, but I was unsure if educational poverty exists in Foping. Education poverty is when children have a lack of opportunities to learn and develop skills that are essential to changing society. With the kindness of the principal of a local elementary school, I had the honor to go inside the school to look around.
The size of the school was average and definitely big enough for an elementary school with only 99 students through grades 1 to 6. When entering the school it’s well protected from the gate, a wide colorful field covered with a synthetic athletics track appears in front of my eyes, with a bright five-started red flag waving on the shiny flag post, surrounded with 3-floor high buildings covered with white ceramic tiles.
Looking inside their storage room, all kinds of equipment for physical education from basketballs, soccer balls, and badminton rackets to dumbbells and jumping ropes can be found in their best conditions. The art room and the music room are next to the storage room. A wall of gorgeous art pieces all crafted from the students’ hands filled the art room with a strong artistic atmosphere, while the huge mirror and a folded drum set made me imagine a group of enthusiastic children dancing and singing with innocent smiles on their faces. The socialistic use of money and support from other developed regions in China have definitely created a foreseeable future for counties such as Foping, and China will possibly have the chance to eliminate poverty and reach the first UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, or even earlier.
After the visit, I concluded that there is no need for financial support for towns like Foping anymore since the problem of housing and living conditions is almost solved, but there are still more questions ready to be answered: Do the people of Foping realize the significance of the ecosystem and the geographic location of their county? And are they aware of the dangers that the ecosystem is currently facing?
- Why Environmental Protection?
“I have said many times that green mountains and clear water are as good as the mountains of gold and silver. To protect the environment is to protect productivity, and to improve the environment is to boost productivity. This simple fact is increasingly recognized by people.”
Said Xi Jinping in the opening ceremony of the 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou. As the “world’s factory”, China produces a massive amount of pollution while manufacturing products to satisfy the demand of markets around the world. Recently, with the foreseeable economic growth of China, environmental protection became one of the top policies for the central government, along with 203 billion yuan spent on environmental protection and energy-saving annually since 2014 according to the figures released in a monthly conference of 2015, March. In the interior of the 3767 meters elevation tall Qinling mountain range lies one of the richest biosystems in the world that contains endangered animals like the wild panda, as well as many rare plants. In order to keep the environment protected while contributing to the 13th and 15th United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “Climate Change” and “Life on Land”, I believe that raising awareness and helping people to understand the importance of their surrounding ecosystem is fundamental.
In mid-2019, I had a chance to go to Foping county in the core of the Qinling mountain range, which also is the biggest wild Panda habitat in the world. One of the first places I’ve visited is a Panda themed zoo located right in the middle of the wild panda natural habitat with a 20 minutes drive from downtown and a 15 minutes hike. Unlike other zoos, pandas in this zoo have free access to the wild and are checked by professionals on a daily basis. One of the surprising things that I’ve discovered is the frequent appearance of Golden Monkeys, one of the most precious animals within all the endangered species. These wild golden monkeys often hang out in the park, fights between monkey groups can also be observed or heard if lucky enough. This is the specialty of the Qinling region. The natural habitat not only plays a significant role in balancing the global climate but also brings large opportunities for scientific research.
However, many locals don’t recognize this advantage, and rather see it as a disadvantage. This is because the locals have a narrow concept on how to gain profit, which they believe the best way to improve their lives and make a living is by mass-producing products and turning forests into huge agriculture sites. Many places in China that suffer from poverty started to develop by selling their agricultural products, and examples can be found easily in the province of Yunnan and Zhejiang, which the local planetary system is well developed and protected, but wild animals were usually forced to leave their living habitat for a stabled agricultural production. Unfortunately, the Qinling region is already facing danger. Today the forest resource has decreased 70 percent due to deforestation, mining, and trash dumping. This can not happen to the Qinling region, because the protection for wild pandas and golden monkeys is also the protection of a regional treasure for Hanzhong, a national treasure for China, and an irreplaceable treasure for the planet, as well as mankind.