In the Spring of 1970, thousands
of migrant workers in Shazhou County were organized to cultivate 800 acres of tidal
flat of the Yangtze River, which was known as
“Cultivation in the 1970s”. And then Nanfeng Commune 23 Brigade composed of 808
members was established with the gradual coming of 213 peasant households from
counties of Nanfeng, Luyuan, Zhaofeng, Daxin and so on. From then on, Yonglian
began its era in the history. However, due to low-lying terrain and frequently
occurred flood, it became the smallest village with the least population and
most backward economy in southern Jiangsu
Province. The reform and
opening up brought new life on Yonglian once more. Guided by the spirits of
“dare to break the old rules and make the new ones, strive for self-improvement,
be united and dedicated, and work hard and try to be the first”, Yonglian
people, breaking the restraint of “take grain as the key link”, started
engaging in fish farming and other sidelines; took the risk of “cutting the
tail” to run the steel plant in the case of materials shortage; explored the
development of “Industry re-feeding Agriculture” to raise agricultural benefit
and farmer income; insisted on common prosperity and take the initiative to
help the surrounding villages. The young Yonglian, going ups and downs, wrote a
developmental chapter of “make itself prosperous through industry, and make
itself better through steel”. And the past poor village is now known as a “China’s first
steel village” and “national civilized village”. Today’s Yonglian is on the way
of scientifically coordinated and sustainable development. The whole village,
with the urbanization of living, the industrialization of production, the
citizenship of life, the diversification of employment, the standardization of
management and the diversification of income, is realizing the transformation
of the development model of agriculture, farmers and rural areas. 96% of
villagers realized centralized residence, 96% of arable land achieved
collective conversion, 96% of labor force got employed as well as 96% of
villagers enjoyed better welfare than urban residents. 10.5 square kilometers
of village with small town, rivers and lakes, gardens and plants, modern farms
and civilization, constitutes a “picture of modern countryside with Chinese
characteristics”.
Address: Yonglian
Village, Nanfeng Town,
Zhangjiagang
Contact: 0512-58906111, 58906161
Ticket price for foreigners: Farming
culture park(free), Feimili pet paradise(88RMB/per), Yonglian Water paradise(Adult:
120RMB/per, over 1.4 meters; Children:90RMB/per, 1.2-1.4 meters; free for children
under 1.2 meters)
Opening hours: 8:00-17:00
