The mountainous county of Luhe in Shanwei, Guangdong province, did not have access to a freeway before January 2017, and only 10 percent of its 1,000 square kilometers of land can be used for farming.

Without significant manufacturing and commerce, many young people have migrated to cities in the province's Pearl River Delta region to work－mainly on construction sites－since the early 1980s, shortly after the nation's reform and opening-up started.

People were very poor, barely able fill their stomachs with the food they grew back then, said Chen Zhuangyong, Party secretary of Luhe.

As many as 80,000 of Luhe's registered population of 360,000 are working in the Pearl River Delta.

However, the tide has turned as "the previous disadvantages have somehow become the advantages," Chen said.

The mountains are now more valued as resources that provide fresh air, water and an agreeable environment, which, coupled with some historical sites, serve as assets in the tourism industry.

As the source of two rivers, the Rongjiang and the Luohe, Luhe was designated as a national-level area bearing ecological functions in 2016.

"We don't have the resources, such as large patches of land and abundant labor, necessary for massive industrial projects," Chen said.

The county authorities have adopted a green strategy to build it into a backyard garden of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The strategy for rural vitalization outlined at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in late 2017 has provide fresh impetus to Luhe, Chen said.

With help from Shenzhen, Guangdong, and some provincial institutions, 5,592 families have been lifted out of poverty.

Programs covering garbage and sewage treatment, public toilet construction and pollution control have been implemented with funds from various levels of governments.

Many of those who left Luhe four decades ago have become successful business people and are now able to contribute to the development of their hometowns. In addition, more young people have returned to be engaged in tourism, Chen said.

Modern agriculture has been practiced, with new technologies and more efficient farming on larger pieces of land rented after the confirmation of land rights. Various villages have spurred agriculture-related tourism by developing their own specialty produce including lotus roots, sweet potatoes, vegetables and plums.

Hiking, biking, marathons and other sports events have also been introduced, mainly with support from the Guangdong Sport Administration.

The county has received about 2 million tourists a year in recent years. A number of hotels are being built around hot springs, and roads are being upgraded.

Major manufacturing projects have also appeared, including an industrial park launched in 2016 with support from Shenzhen. The park now accommodates factories that manufacture building and decorative materials and new energy buses.

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