Cooperatives and incubators lift living standards

To solve the problem, the county government provided 210 million yuan and built the 100-hectare relocation settlement in 2017.

As of April last year, 853 poverty-stricken households, 3,421 people, had moved to new homes from rural areas and pastures with poor infrastructure across the county.

Every family was offered a new house for free. Infrastructure－including a soccer field, asphalt roads, street lamps and bus stops－h(huán)as been established and the residents also have access to running water and electricity.

"The house allocated to me is 80 square meters for my five family members, and I didn't spend a single penny as it was provided by the government. After relocation, I obtained a public welfare post as a grassland keeper, which brings me a stable income of 1,800 yuan a month," Yang said.

"I discarded the kerosene lamps after I moved here, as there was no need for them. Lights, television, microwave oven, electric blanket－I enjoy many modern appliances."

The transportation infrastructure won high praise in particular.

"Two bus routes have been designed to ferry the children to and from school," Yang said. "The buses come every seven minutes and offer great convenience. It only takes 20 minutes at most to send the children to school in the downtown by bus, while two to three hours was normal in the past."

Yang has gained more sources of income, such as his wages, subsidies to alleviate grazing prohibitions, and selling herbs collected on the mountainside. His family's total annual income is now 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, and he shook off poverty in 2018.

As of July last year, 31,700 impoverished households－118,900 people－h(huán)ad been relocated and lifted out of poverty in Qinghai.

Public welfare jobs, rent-free shops, workshops, skills training classes, herb collecting and homestays: those are just some of the improvements and activities.

The new residents are enjoying more options to raise their incomes, even as they enjoy better infrastructure and more secure lives.