CRI听力：Fishermen Village in Shenzhen

52-year-old Tang Wenbiao will never forget the moment when late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping visited his hometown, the Fishermen Village, on January 25, 1984.

"Xiaoping saw that families in our village had TV sets and electric fans. He said villagers could lead comfortable lives. Our local party secretary, Wu Bosen, asked Xiaoping whether the reform and opening up policy would change one day. He confirmed that the policy would continue."

Thanks to the policy, the tiny fishing village in Shenzhen's Luohu District is now a modern community. Prior to 1978, the village, like many others in China, was remote and impoverished. Villages often snuck into Hong Kong via the river connecting the two areas. Tang Wenbiao recalls.

"When I was small, no outsiders could enter our village. Roads were muddy. The village was hit by floods almost every year. This situation did not change until late 1970s. The clothes we wore were patched and threadbare. People from Hong Kong laughed at us, saying the patches on our trousers looked like pancakes on our bottoms. I despaired at that time. I wanted to leave the village by joining the army or stowing away to Hong Kong. Many of my classmates did leave."

In 1980, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping designated four cities as special economic zones, the first testing grounds for the reform. Shenzhen was one of them, because of its proximity to Hong Kong, which could offer market economy expertise and capital due to its free port.

People in the Fishermen Village realized their first pot of gold through fishing when they started an aquaculture industry by breeding fish. They organized teams to transport bricks and other construction materials, since Shenzhen was developing as one of China's major factories. Meanwhile, they also managed the establishment of factory-based industries.

In 1982, every family in the village built a villa, causing a sensation. It rose to fame as the richest village in the country with a per household income of 33,000 yuan. Deng Xiaoping visited two years later, and his determination to continue reform and opening up put villagers' minds at ease.

Huang Xingyan is the deputy manager of Yufeng Co., the collective company of the village. He says that despite preferential policies, the mindset of the fishermen has played a key role in the development of the village.

"Villagers are diligent and hard-working, open-minded and always ready to take in new ideas."

However, development of the Fishermen Village also came with twists and turns. From 1987 to 2000, Shenzhen developed with incredible speed, and millions of people rushed in to find work. The value of the village land increased dramatically. As landowners, the villagers were anxious to construct buildings for migrant workers to rent. With unplanned construction, the area became an urban village surrounded by skyscrapers and public transportation. It was composed of overcrowded, multi-story buildings and narrow alleys that were difficult for vehicles to navigate. Inside, it was dark and damp year round, and lights had to remain on even during daylight hours.

Each household could make more than 20,000 yuan a month from rentals, but they worried about the future of their homeland. Tang Wenbiao explains the stories behind some old photos of the village.

"Since the buildings in the village were not well-planned, they were called 'kissing building' or 'handshake building'. Firemen were unable to get into the alleys. We had to fetch water in buckets if there was a fire. My house was the first one to be pulled down."

In 2002, the collective company demolished all the old buildings and planned to build it into a modern community with pleasant natural surroundings, a kindergarten, sport facilities and a cultural activity square in just two years. Huang Xingyan laughs when he recalls the day the new apartments were completed.

"We handed out villagers' property ownership certificates that day. Each family was allocated nine floors, altogether about 36 apartments. I remember the scene of them carrying piles of red certificates. The environment has also changed greatly. In the past, there was no room for villagers to do open air exercises, and they seldom came out. Now, they love to congregate in the square." Huang Xingyan says a real estate company now manages the apartment rentals. "

Management can ensure the quality of consumers who want to rent apartments, and the rental rate has also increased. The company also provides job opportunities and training for villagers. Senior villagers are free to entertain themselves." Property rentals became the most important source of income for the villagers. More than 3800 residents pay rent to just 200 villagers. Thirty villages in Luohu District are now learning from the experience of the Fishermen Village as they attempt to plan and manage their land.

Now that they have room to breathe, villagers are looking to expand their horizons.

"Villagers are better off, and they are now hungry for cultural activities. Their insight into society is changing. Now, we find that cultural progress is more important than economic development. "

Wu Songqiu, the first college graduate from the village, shares the sentiment. He returned to the town in 1992 with a degree in computer science from the prestigious Sun Yat-sen University.

"I have a strong affection for my hometown. My grandfather was part of the first generation of villagers here. At that time, few villagers were educated and they turned their backs on me when I returned. I thought it would be difficult to further develop the village because the people were illiterate. I wanted to devote myself to the development of the village using what I learned."

He is now the manager of the real estate company tasked with creating a better environment for local residents.

"I want to better arrange the environment in the village and manage our company. I hope I can expand our business in the future and invest in diversified industries, because simply depending on housing rentals is risky and unsustainable."

He says that he is glad to see many young people in the village have received higher education thanks to development. Some of them have begun their careers in other cities. Hong Kong citizens living here also send their kids to the kindergarten in the village, since its educational resources are as good as those of schools in Hong Kong.

Looking at the overall development of the village, residents feel pride, even as they look forward to a more prosperous future.