Taking Up the Baton to Support Poverty Alleviation and Diving Deep into Rural Revitalization—A Profile of Zou Zhongping, Deputy Secretary of the Jiulong County Party Committee on Secondment

At dawn, the car began to move slowly, and houses and streets adorned with Tibetan motifs and Yi-style architecture gradually receded into the distance. The sky over Jiulong had suddenly changed from its usual deep, brilliant blue to a light drizzle. On the towering Jichou Mountain, flakes of snow were already drifting down. All these sights before him were scenes that Zou Zhongping knew only too well. He reached out his hand, waving goodbye to his friends. Though their time together had been brief—just two years—it was a bond that would last forever.

 

(Ending the secondment, saying goodbye to Kowloon)

In 2020, Zou Zhongping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Institute of Geophysical Exploration, was selected by the organization to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Jiulong County in Ganzi Prefecture, representing the former Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Coalfield Geology. As the full-time Deputy Secretary in charge of poverty alleviation, he was responsible for leading the fight against poverty and overseeing the targeted assistance work assigned by provincial government departments. In early summer in Chengdu, he bid farewell to his familiar leaders and colleagues, reluctantly said goodbye to his deeply cherished family, and resolutely set off for the sacred and mysterious Tibetan Plateau in western Sichuan.

Zou Zhongping had long been engaged in geological exploration work in the field, and he’d already grown accustomed to a life of being away from his family, traveling alone and working tirelessly. Yet, upon first arriving in Jiulong, he still found himself going through a period of excruciatingly difficult days. Just three days after reporting to the Jiulong County Party Committee, his wife accidentally suffered severe burns due to overwork and lack of rest. To keep him from being distracted, she deliberately concealed her injury from him. It wasn’t until more than a week later that he learned the truth through other channels. Moreover, during that same period, Zou Zhongping’s elderly and ill parents were also experiencing poor health; his mother was hospitalized once again. Although his family urged him not to worry, deep down he couldn’t help but feel deeply troubled—after all, he felt utterly guilty for not being able to be by their side when they needed him most! Since Jiulong County sits at an altitude of over 2,900 meters, the high elevation made it somewhat challenging for Zou Zhongping, who had just arrived, to fall asleep at night. During that time, insomnia became his daily reality. The hardships his family faced and his own physical discomfort plunged Zou Zhongping into great difficulty right from the start of his assignment. However, rather than complaining or backing down, he chose to persevere—because he knew full well that he carried the trust and responsibility entrusted to him by the organization, and because he understood that the cause he was involved in, though ordinary, was nonetheless profoundly meaningful and noble!

On the second day after arriving in Jiulong, Director Xian from the County Party Committee Office told Zou Zhongping when introducing the situation: “In Jiulong, much of our work actually boils down to two key priorities: fire prevention in winter and flood control in summer!” Due to the region’s unique geographical environment and climate, summers here are characterized by abundant rainfall, while winters and springs are dry and prone to wildfires. As a result, every year we face tremendous pressure in both flood control and forest and grassland fire prevention.

(Verify flood conditions)

In late August 2020, the sky over Jiulong seemed to have been pierced, unleashing several days of torrential rain. Most townships within the county were hit by severe flooding, among which Hongba Township—contacted by Zou Zhongping—suffered particularly devastating damage! The disaster situation was an urgent call to action. Having arrived in Jiulong just over two months earlier, Zou Zhongping immediately led a team to rush to the front lines to organize disaster assessment, verification, and relief efforts. Hongba Township is one of the two townships in the entire county that are farthest from the county seat—each way covering nearly 400 kilometers. Along the route, one must pass through three prefectural-level cities: Ganzi, Liangshan, and Ya’an. Under normal circumstances, driving there would take more than six hours. However, due to the raging floods, the roadbed of the main access road had been washed away, and landslides had occurred, completely cutting off the only route connecting the township government headquarters and the villages to the outside world!

 

(Verify flood conditions)

Since vehicles couldn't make it through, Zou Zhongping and his team decided to proceed on foot—this way, they could also better inspect and verify the extent of the damage along the way. After nearly ten hours of arduous trekking over mountains and across rugged terrain, traveling by car, motorcycle, and even riding mules and horses, they finally arrived safely at the township government! With the cooperation of village-level cadres, Zou Zhongping and his team once again conducted a thorough inspection of all potential hazard sites. This time, the flood had caused considerable damage to roads, crops, and a small number of houses in Hongba Township—but fortunately, no one was injured! Immediately afterward, they arranged temporary housing for villagers whose homes had been damaged and made plans for follow-up work. After completing their tasks in the township, Zou Zhongping and his team encountered yet another challenge on their return journey: a bridge within Shixian County had recently been washed away by the flood, forcing them to take a much longer detour. Reluctantly, they had no choice but to organize local villagers to clear brush and open a path, rappel down steep cliffs using ropes, and wade through streams and gullies. After several hours of perilous travel, they finally returned safely to their base camp.

 

(On the way to assess and verify the disaster)

Although his body was covered in mud and water, and one of his feet had developed blisters from rubbing, being able to be on the front lines of the disaster, gaining firsthand insight into the situation, offering immediate comfort to the affected villagers, and conveying the care of the Party and the government to them—Zou Zhongping felt that it was all completely worth it.

Jiulong is located on the southeastern fringe of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in the southeastern part of Ganzi Prefecture. Its landscape is dominated by high mountains and deep canyons. The predominantly settled ethnic groups here are Tibetans, Han Chinese, and Yi people, and the region has long been known as the "Tibetan-Yi Corridor." Due to severe transportation bottlenecks, Jiulong’s economic and social development had previously lagged behind, and its poverty rate remained stubbornly high year after year. With the successful advancement of the battle against poverty, all 19 impoverished villages in Jiulong County—comprising 1,890 households and 6,985 people—were lifted out of poverty as scheduled by the end of 2018. In April 2019, Jiulong County was officially approved by the People's Government of Sichuan Province to exit the list of poverty-stricken counties. As a result, Zou Zhongping’s work now focuses more on collaborating with Jiulong’s cadres, local residents, and all stationed village officials and team members to consolidate and expand upon the achievements made in the fight against poverty, effectively linking them with rural revitalization efforts, and ensuring a smooth transition from poverty alleviation to comprehensive rural revitalization in Jiulong County. To carry out this “second half” of the work successfully, over the past two years, Zou Zhongping has traveled extensively throughout the county’s 16 townships, traversing every mountain and stream. He has personally experienced the joy and heartfelt ethnic solidarity of the various ethnic groups in Jiulong after they have shaken off poverty and embarked on a path toward prosperity.

 

(Household visits)

As the person in charge of ensuring the implementation of the program, visiting villages and households and conducting on-site supervision have become routine for Zou Zhongping. With each household visit, he has steadily grown closer to the villagers. The San Ya, Xiao Jin, Duo Luo, and Wan Ba areas are predominantly inhabited by Yi people. Through numerous home visits, Zou Zhongping has come to deeply appreciate that the Yi people of Jiulong are hardworking, kind-hearted, and place great importance on education. Every family takes pride in nurturing their children to achieve success, and they will mobilize the entire family to provide their children with the best possible learning conditions. During each visit, the villagers’ most frequent requests—both to the government and to local officials—are related to education: improving school facilities, attracting qualified teachers, and so forth. Seeing the villagers’ eager and hopeful eyes, Zou Zhongping has resolved to do everything in his power to help them as much as possible.

 

(Surveying at Hongba Township Primary School)

Therefore, he carefully analyzed the assistance plans of several provincial-level departments and organizations involved in targeted support for Jiulong County, and, taking into account the unique characteristics of each unit, he purposefully guided various assistance resources to focus more on the education sector in Jiulong County.

 

(Liu Rong and Zhang Chengfu, former leaders of the Provincial Coalfield Geological Bureau, conduct research and provide assistance.)

Over the past two years, the principal leaders of various supporting organizations have visited Jiulong numerous times to conduct field research. To ensure they gained a thorough understanding of the local situation and secured more support funds, Zou Zhongping, no matter how busy he was, always took the initiative to accompany them, proactively establish contact, and actively promote Jiulong’s needs. During this period, key leaders from the supporting organizations—including Liu Rong, former Director of the Sichuan Provincial Coalfield Geological Bureau; Zhang Daowei, then Executive Director and Party Secretary of PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company; and He Xiao, General Manager—also made multiple on-site visits to Jiulong to carry out research. Zou Zhongping specifically accompanied each of them during their respective visits to Jiulong’s kindergartens, senior high schools, and vocational secondary schools.

 

(Zhang Daowei and He Xiao, leaders of the Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company of CNPC, conduct research and provide assistance.)

After learning about the school’s actual difficulties, several leaders promptly extended their active support. In addition, Zou Zhongping repeatedly communicated and consulted with relevant leaders from several provincial government departments, as well as with counterparts from Qingbaijiang District in Chengdu—where the province provides paired assistance—and with aid workers from Dongguan in Guangdong and Xihu District in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, which are part of east-west collaboration efforts. As a result, he successfully secured a series of educational funds and equipment from these departments, units, and localities. Thanks to the government’s continued increase in investment in education and the concerted efforts of various sectors to provide educational assistance, the educational infrastructure in Jiulong County has now greatly improved. Among them, the Wanba area has even seen the construction of the best-equipped school in Jiulong County! Today, when you visit households in this region, the most common things you’ll hear are “Wajiwa” (Yi language: very good) and “Kashasha” (Yi language: thank you).

 

(On a field trip to the countryside)

Hongba Township is the township that Zou Zhongping is assigned to liaise with, and naturally, it’s here that he’s left his mark most extensively. The township is vast and sparsely populated—there are only two villages in the entire township, with a permanent population of just over 900 people. Since there are no dedicated guesthouses, every time Zou Zhongping comes to the township to carry out his work or conduct on-site investigations, he stays overnight at the homes of local Tibetan families. In early 2021, when Zou Zhongping went to the township to address the issue of pasture trails for yak herders’ farms, he stayed for seven or eight days straight. During the day, he would hike through mountains and rivers alongside the herders, surveying the pasture trails, entering cattle sheds, and eating boxed lunches. At night, he’d warm himself by the fire in Tibetan-style houses, chatting and sipping butter tea.

 

(Eating in the cattle shed)

There are many yak farmers in Hongba. The yaks raised here represent the Jiulong yak breed—these yaks are the largest of their kind, with some weighing over a thousand jin. Thanks to the excellent pastures, the butter produced in Hongba is also the highest quality in the entire county. As they say, "high quality at a competitive price"—this has significantly boosted the incomes of local herders.

 

(Surveying the yak farming industry)

In the region where Zou Zhongping frequently travels, villagers and herders are mostly very familiar with him and regard him as a kind yet meticulous cadre. With his help and guidance, Hongba Township has not only consolidated its yak breeding industry but has also introduced the cultivation of Chinese medicinal herbs such as rhubarb and gastrodia elata, laying a solid foundation for increasing villagers’ incomes. Meanwhile, Zou Zhongping has gained a new understanding of his Tibetan fellow countrymen. He says, “The Tibetans here are simple and optimistic, deeply sincere toward others. When you’re around them, you simply can’t help but work with genuine heart and sincerity.”

 

(Exchange and heart-to-heart talks in the village party branch)

In Zou Zhongping’s view, poverty alleviation is the greatest political responsibility for successive groups of assistance cadres. Strictly implementing the “four no-removal” requirements and regularly conducting “look-back” and “follow-up assistance” efforts to ensure that households that have already been lifted out of poverty are not at risk of falling back into poverty—this is the bottom line. He also deeply understands that to fundamentally solve the issue of absolute poverty among farmers and herders, it is essential to further stimulate the intrinsic motivation of impoverished people. While guiding them to shift their mindset, we must also secure funding and implement projects, transforming aid from “blood transfusions” into “hematopoiesis.” Only in this way can we promote the healthy development of rural economies. In poverty alleviation, industry is the foundation; in rural revitalization, industry is the key. To broaden the path for industrial development, as the leading unit’s dispatched cadre stationed in Jiulong, Zou Zhongping took the lead, together with other village-level cadres dispatched by several provincial departments to Jiulong, going up mountains and down to villages, visiting households, listening to honest feedback, and gaining a true understanding of the local situation. They conducted numerous surveys and research studies on assistance work.

 

(Surveying the cattle farm)

 

(Research Pastoral Path)

Based on an in-depth understanding of the basic situation, existing challenges, and specific support needs of rural industries in assisted villages, we have guided the implementation of a number of key assistance projects. We’ve supported agricultural and livestock cooperatives, boosted collective economies such as the white peony and Sichuan pepper industries, and upgraded infrastructure in several villages with strong potential for integrating agriculture with tourism. As a result, farmers and herders have truly achieved stable and long-term income gains. Over the past two years, Zou Zhongping has led efforts to secure project funding exceeding 7 million yuan from provincial-level government departments and agencies, and has facilitated consumer-driven assistance totaling over 10 million yuan. He firmly believes that as long as we remain oriented toward people’s livelihoods and put the people at the center, more and more welfare-oriented projects like these will emerge, making the farmers and herders of Jiulong increasingly prosperous and ensuring the comprehensive revitalization of Jiulong’s rural areas!

 

(Surveying greenhouse vegetable cultivation)

Time flies—Zou Zhongping has now spent over three years, 24 months, and more than 700 days providing assistance in Jiulong. He has successfully completed the tasks entrusted to him by the organization! As he prepares to bid farewell, each of the sacred hadas woven with deep affection from the people of Jiulong not only reflects their profound gratitude but also tugs at Zou Zhongping’s heartfelt attachment to Jiulong. He says: “I feel deeply honored to have been fortunate enough to join the Tibetan-Yi Corridor and contribute to the great cause of poverty alleviation, witnessing firsthand this extraordinary journey of transforming rural areas from old to new. This experience has been a true test of character, a profound sense of responsibility—and above all, an invaluable treasure in my life!”

 

(The people of Kowloon see off Zou Zhongping.)

 

Executive Producer | Zhang Guangda
Reviewed by | Zou Zhongping
Editor-in-charge | Zhou Huiying
Text | Wen Han
Figure | Office of the Jiulong County Committee
Editor | Wen Han