Du'an is known as the "rocky kingdom" as 89 percent of its administrative region is covered by karst mountains.

Poor transportation infrastructure blocked people from the outside and trapped the mountain dwellers in extreme poverty for generations.

In recent years, Du'an has invested a lot in upgrading roads in rural areas. The county, which was founded in 1955 with only 70 kilometers of roads, has seen an expanded road network. Currently, Du'an's roads total over 1,700 km in length.

As China advances rural vitalization following its eradication of absolute poverty, improved rural roads have helped farmers dispatch their goods and brought tourists and other resources, facilitating the development of industries including e-commerce, tourism and agriculture with local characteristics.