Du'an celebrates 60th anniversary

A celebration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of Du'an Yao autonomous county in Hechi, Guangxi, was held on Dec 15.

Representatives from the central government, Guangxi and Hechi attended the ceremony and expressed sincere congratulations.

Du'an, located in the south part of Hechi, is one of the most typical karst landform areas in China. It was founded on Dec 15, 1955 and covers a total area of 4,095 square kilometers, 89 percent of which is mountainous terrain. The county has 463,500 mu (30,900 hectares) of cultivated area available for its 702,000 people, which include 12 ethnic groups such as Yao, Zhuang, Miao, Mulam and Maonan. It governs 248 administrative villages in 11 villages and eight towns.

Led by local government, Du'an residents have been striving to develop its economy and raise people's standard of living. The number of impoverished people fell from 320,000 in 2010 to 167,500 in 2014.

The gross regional domestic product of Du'an county is expected to reach 3.8 billion yuan ($586.3 million) this year, 70 times more than that of 1955. This year's fiscal revenue has increased 196 times since then to 400 million yuan, and the rural per capita net income has grown to 5,520 yuan, 207 times of the number in 1955.

Site of the celebration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of Du'an Yao autonomous county in Hechi, Guangxi [Photo by Luo Changliang / hcwang.cn]

Fireworks and balloons fly in the air at the ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Du'an Yao autonomous county in Hechi, Guangxi. [Photo by Luo Changliang / hcwang.cn]

Du'an County Magistrate Lan Qizhang hosts the ceremony on Dec 15. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng / Xinhua]

The dragon dance performance at the celebration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of Du'an Yao autonomous county in Hechi, Guangxi [Photo by Gao Dongfeng / Xinhua]

Edited by Peter Nordlinger