In his younger days, Guo Lianbing would wander around his village picking fights with people. He gained a reputation for his roguish ways, as many villagers recall.
Many of them would probably have found it hard to imagine that Guo, now 48, would become an exemplary local official, dedicating himself to improving their lives.
“Planting new cash crops like lily bulbs, laying out more pipes for the water supply or linking people to the internet for e-commerce…We’re focused on upgrading. It’s a hands-on approach,” Guo says.
Guo is the deputy head of Yuangudui, a village in Weiyuan county of Dingxi in Northwest China’s Gansu province. Less than a decade ago, Yuangudui was still known as one of the poorest spots…