Shutdown provides green catalyst

A new era

The closure of the Tiantian Chemical factory left people in Aijia township with the choice of either traveling to factories far from their homes, such as the one owned by Hubei Sanning, or resigning themselves to a lower standard of living.

The plant was the township's major employer, and without it, only farm work remains.

While they wait for things to pick up, some people are existing on the compensation they received, which was based on their monthly salary and length of service. Each person received between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan on average.

Only about 50 former Tiantian employees took jobs at Hubei Sanning, according to Li, the township's head.

Despite the recent downturn, Li is confident that the future is bright for local people.

"Part of the city's plan is that our township will become part of a Central Business District in the future," he said, noting that the abandoned cargo docks and factories will be replaced with new buildings.

Moreover, he said the CBD will employ many locals in the form of security guards, janitors and maintenance workers, and the influx of new people will provide more trade for businesses such as retailers and other local traders.

Xin Dingding contributed to this story.