Wanda Group launches poverty alleviation project in China’s Danzhai region

Chinese real estate and entertainment giant the Dalian Wanda Group has launched a targeted Poverty Alleviation Program based on tourism and education in the province of Guizhou.

The CN¥1.5 billion (US$220 million) program aims to lift the Danzhai county out of poverty, following a model of ‘one enterprise responsible for an entire county’s poverty alleviation’.

It comprises an CN¥300 million college, an RMB 700 million tourism village, and an CN¥500 million fund, designed to meet long, medium, and short term poverty-alleviation demand in the south western Chinese region famous for its rich Miao ethnic heritage and stunning landscape.

The innovative poverty alleviation model, based on Wanda’s many years of successful experience in reducing poverty and consultations with experts, aims to help lift income level in Danzhai through a market-orientated approach, leveraging Wanda’s strength in the tourism industry and Danzhai’s own rich tourism resources.

Three years in the making, the project is aimed at leading Danzhai’s economic transformation, creating employment, and eradicating poverty from the roots.

The long-term part of the project is the Guizhou Wanda Vocational College. With CN¥300 million donated by Wanda, the College is designed to improve Danzhai’s quality of life through education, eliminating the possibility of poverty arising from the source. Covering an area of 200,000 metre² and occupying a total floor area of 50,000 metre², the college will be able to accommodate 2,000 students.

The College facilities have met national top-tier vocational college standards and offers majors associated with Wanda’s business fields and positions, with 50% of the graduates to be hired based on merit to work at Wanda each year.

The College is expected to enrol 700 Danzhai students each year which, calculating from the standard of three people per family, the school will help lift around 2,000 Danzhai residents out of poverty annually.

The medium-term part of the project is the CN¥700 million Danzhai Wanda Village, designed to lead the county’s tourism development and create many employment opportunities. The site covers an area of 266,640 metre² and a floor area of 50,000 metre².

Constructed and designed in the style of Miao architecture, the Village portrays Danzhai’s unique national non-material cultural heritages, handicrafts with ethnic Miao characteristics, Miao delicacies, and Miao medical treatment and medicines. Accompanied by the 4-star Wanda Jin Hotel, Inns and a Wanda Cinema, Danzhai Wanda Village will become an exclusive tourism project in China. The successful operation of the Village will generate 2,000 direct employment opportunities annually, attract 1 million tourists to Danzhai annually, and increase local tourism revenue by more than RMB 500 million. It will foster the growth of more than 20 industries including food, accommodation, handicrafts and agriculture. According to China Tourism Academy’s estimates, more than 10,000 indirect employment opportunities will be created.

The short-term part is the CN¥500 million Danzhai Special Poverty Alleviation Fund.

Serving as a bottom line for the poorest, an CN¥50 million dividend fund will be granted each year to the county in the first five-year phase. The fund targets special poverty groups who are unable to benefit from the poverty-alleviating industries. The first instalment of CN¥50 million has been distributed to 38,300 Danzhai residents struggling with poverty and low income. As a result, the average income of the poorest in Danzhai has already exceeded the national poverty line of that year.

After Wanda launched the ‘one enterprise responsible for an entire county’s poverty alleviation’ in Daizhai, according to performance review of Guizhou poverty alleviation and development, Danzhai’s overall index rose from 23rd in 2014 to 2nd in 2016. The project also achieved the local people’s highest satisfaction level in the whole of Guizhou Province.

Commenting on the initiative, Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Wanda Group, stated “Wanda’s ‘one enterprise responsible for an entire county’s poverty alleviation’ model represents a significant innovation of China’s poverty alleviation, and was therefore awarded the first National Poverty Alleviation Innovation Award in 2016, establishing Wanda’s poverty alleviation brand.

“Nevertheless, the opening of Danzhai Wanda Village and Guizhou Wanda Vocational College does not mean the final poverty-alleviation goal has been reached. Wanda Group will take the responsibility of the project and see it through until the end.

“The company will ensure stable operation of the Village, building it into a famous tourist destination in Guizhou, and building the vocational college into an outstanding school in the province. Wanda will not only lift Danzhai from poverty but will also bring the county prosperity

Images: The launch of Dalian Wanda Group's targeted Poverty Alleviation Program and (below) the Danzhai Wanda Village.

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