Guizhou then and now: A story of big changes

A photo taken on Nov 10, 2017 (top), shows Juhe village in Dafang county of Bijie, Guizhou province, where Li Gang's family once lived. An aerial photo taken this year shows the new look of Li's village in Shexiang ancient town, a relocation area and a popular tourist area (bottom). [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Guizhou province, one of the least developed in China, with a large ethnic population, has lifted 9.23 million people in rural areas out of poverty. It is home to the last nine counties in China to be removed from the country's poverty list.

The following before-and-after photos strikingly capture the tremendous changes that have taken place in Guizhou, which serves as one example of the Chinese people's triumph over adversity.

Wang Jin contributed to this story.