Isolated villages in the southern part of Shaanxi Province are typical examples of poverty-stricken communities in China. The local government's new Emigration Project is helping farmers escape from difficult living.

42 year old Xiao Mingyao has lived his entire life deep in the mountains.

Xiao Mingyao, farmer of Xixiang County said "It may take others up an hour to get to my home, but I only need twenty minutes. I'm used to it."

The surrounding trees are his family's only source of income.

Xiao Mingyao said "The six of us altogether could earn about 6000 yuan a year."

Dozens of mudslides hit every year, damaging many houses built in the rough terrain.

Yan Zhongcai, another local farmer, says they're at the mercy of mother nature.

Yan Zhongcai, farmer said "This is where my home used to stand. It was gone just in a blink of eye when the mudslide hit. Fixing and rebuilding the house could use up our only savings."

Thanks to the government's Emigration Project, both farmers have recently moved into their own apartments.

Yan Zhongcai contributed about ten-thousand yuan for his 100 square-meter unit, while the local government picked up the remaining 30-thousand yuan.

Li Yongping, Deputy Director of Emigration project said "The total investment of the housing will be about 110 billion yuan. Farmers pays only twenty percent while local and Provincial government pay the rest."

The government also allows Yan to continue using the land he once lived on. For now, he's renting the three thousand square meters to an agricultural company, boosting his income.

Yan Zhongcai said "I can earn fifty yuan everyday. That adds up to more than ten thousand yuan per year."

The government's project covers the entire southern region of Sha'anxi province. The goal is to lift two million farmers out of poverty.

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