Railway Assistance Drives Industrial Upgrade and Rural Renewal in Liaoning’s Youzhang Village

Scattered photovoltaic panels cover the eastern hillside of Youzhang Village in Kazuo County, Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. In cold greenhouse bases at the foot of the hills, local villagers pollinate pepper crops by hand, while grain processing facilities nearby operate at full capacity, packaging golden millet for delivery to major supermarkets across the province. A provincial themed publicity campaign has documented the profound transformation of Youzhang Village over more than a decade.

China Railway Shenyang Group launched targeted assistance programmes for Youzhang Village in July 2014. Over the past decade, the railway operator has tailored development strategies to local conditions, prioritised industrial cultivation, and steadily boosted household incomes and rural prosperity across the village.

Infrastructure upgrades have laid solid foundations for long-term rural development. Comprehensive construction work on village public facilities commenced in April 2016. Systematic infrastructure improvements delivered tangible upgrades to rural public services and transportation networks. The village now features 5.7 kilometres of newly built asphalt roads, a 27.6-metre reinforced concrete bridge, 220 solar street lamps, a 2,900-square-metre cultural square and a 6,500-square-metre public activity centre. Local residents have officially named the new bridge Railway Bridge and the newly paved village roads Shentie First Road to Shentie Fourth Road in recognition of the sustained support from railway authorities.

Improved high-speed rail networks have further strengthened the village’s external connectivity. Located merely a 30-minute drive from the nearest high-speed railway station, Youzhang Village enjoys convenient logistics access, enabling local agricultural specialties to reach consumer markets nationwide via efficient rail transport channels. Cultural benefit activities have also been regularly held in the village to enrich grassroots cultural life.

Targeted household breeding initiatives have opened new avenues for stable income growth. Restricted by fragmented hilly farmland, traditional crop farming in Youzhang Village has long delivered limited economic returns. Local assistance teams have introduced household livestock breeding as a core rural industry, encouraging residents to develop cattle and sheep breeding businesses at their residences.

High upfront investment and potential epidemic risks previously deterred many villagers from joining the breeding sector. Railway assistance teams have organised professional experts to conduct on-site investigations, deliver technical guidance on market trends and scientific epidemic prevention, and resolve practical concerns for local households. Specialised public welfare funds have been allocated to support eligible families in launching breeding projects. Local household incomes have achieved steady growth through refined and standardised livestock rearing practices.

Large-scale greenhouse planting projects have established sustainable industrial development models. In 2020, China Railway Shenyang Group cooperated with local authorities in Kazuo County to build standardised cold greenhouse bases. Covering 50 mu with a total investment of 970,000 yuan, the base comprises 32 modern cold greenhouses operated by professional local growers through contracted management mechanisms.

The planting base has successfully expanded sales markets to Shanghai and Tianjin since its launch. The base produced over 2,000 jin of peppers in its first harvest season and achieved a total output of 180,000 jin by the end of the planting cycle, generating an annual collective income of 100,000 yuan for the village.

Grain processing projects extend local industrial value chains. Endowed with suitable sandy soil in the Daling River basin, Youzhang Village boasts high-quality millet resources, yet outdated scattered production modes previously restricted market expansion. Since 2024, China Railway Shenyang Group has invested an additional 1.92 million yuan to construct specialised grain processing plants.

Fully operational grain processing facilities are set to add 120,000 yuan to annual village collective revenue. The first and second phases of the processing project have been completed and put into service, while the third phase is under steady construction. The village is building a complete industrial system covering standardised planting, refined processing and market-oriented sales.

Village development efforts have also unlocked clean energy potential. After coordinated communication with competent authorities, a local photovoltaic power project completed grid connection in April 2024, creating an additional annual collective income of 89,000 yuan for the village.

Years of targeted railway assistance have fostered diverse and sustainable industrial clusters in Youzhang Village. The village has shifted from traditional low-yield farming to multi-industry coordinated development, with stable industrial chains continuously consolidating grassroots income growth and empowering comprehensive rural revitalisation.