Everyman moves mountains to bring water to remote village

Huang Dafa and villagers check the canal to ensure it is functioning correctly. [Photo/ddcpc website]

At a ceremony held in Beijing on June 29, 29 outstanding Party members were awarded with the July 1 Medal for their contributions. The July 1 Medal, established by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is the highest honor in the Party.

Huang Dafa, former Party chief of Tuanjie village's Caowangba team in Zunyi, in Southwest China's Guizhou province, was one of the 29 to receive the medal. He took 36 years to construct a canal, which was later named after him (Dafa).

Caowangba's villagers used to walk for hours to fetch water from rivers and could barely fill their bellies due to the poor harvests from the dry farmlands. After several field surveys, Huang decided to chisel a canal to channel the Luosi River's water, which is three mountains away, to Caowangba.

Since the 1960s, hundreds of villagers participated in the canal's construction, which was led by Huang. After overcoming countless difficulties, the 7,200-meter-long canal with a 2,200-m-long branch canal was completed in 1995.

It not only brings water but also prosperity to the once droughty and impoverished area.

Thanks to the canal, villagers started to develop agriculture and turned Caowangba into a scenic spot equipped with homestays, hotels and restaurants. Migrant workers saw the opportunities in the village and returned to start their careers.

In 2017, Huang was selected as a national ethical role model for his contributions to poverty alleviation.