BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The inspiring news of a remote Chinese ethnic minority group being lifted out of poverty as a whole has proved the advantages of the socialist system in pooling resources for a certain cause.
Dulong people, with a population of several thousand, is one of China's smallest ethnic groups. They have endured long-standing poverty living along the isolated deep gorges of the Dulongjiang River in Gongshan County of Yunnan Province, southwest China.
In just seven decades since they bade farewell to primitive life after the founding of the New China in 1949, Dulong people have now all moved into newly-built houses, and all of the six administrative villages have access to roads with hard surfaces, 4G and radio and TV signals.
Thanks to a highway tunnel through the Gaoligong Mountain, which was completed in 2014, the group's isolation in the deep mountains due to heavy snowfall has ended.
Household incomes have also grown as they now earn money from growing a local specialty spice, harvesting honey and raising cattle. Their children enjoy 14 years of free education.
This big leap forward did not just happen overnight. It was hard won with attention and care from the country's top leadership, consistent efforts by provincial and local authorities and aid from developed regions.
Over the years, the Communist Party of China leaders have written letters of encouragement to Dulong people, visited their hometown and met with their representatives during inspection tours to Yunnan.
Provincial authorities of Yunnan offered help to the whole Dulong group over the years with projects focused on infrastructure construction, housing and food.
Developed regions in the country's east, including the metropolis of Shanghai, have also provided targeted aid for the group in construction projects, industrial development and personnel training.
All this showed China has a unique and efficient governance system that can concentrate resources and accomplish big things such as poverty reduction.
Poverty alleviation is only the first step. Dulong people have every reason to believe that better days are yet to come.
Letting people of all ethnic groups have a good life is the goal of China's poverty alleviation cause.
When China accomplish its goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicates extreme poverty in 2020, it is the common aspiration of all people in the country that no ethnic group will be left behind.
