SHANGHAI -- The Chinese village of Yucun was once an impoverished community polluted by a nearby coal mine and cement plants. Now it is a tourist attraction thanks to the picturesque mountains and lakes that surround it -- and a poster town for some of President Xi Jinping's big plans.
"The average income for folks here has reached 65,000 yuan ($10,000) a year now, up from 8,000 yuan in 2005," said Yu Xiaoping, a Chinese Communist Party official, applauding the village's transformation. "This is where [Xi] first suggested that 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' back in 2005."
