Fang's family has enjoyed support from similar programs organized by different levels of the local government, which has been working to alleviate poverty since 2013, when President Xi Jinping visited the region and demanded better conditions for the rural poor.

Gansu has a population of nearly 26 million, and at the time of Xi's visit nearly 7 million people had been assessed as living in poverty. By the end of last year, after the measures started to take effect, the number had fallen to about 3 million, a step towards achieving the target of zero poverty nationwide by 2020, as outlined in the 13th Five-Year-Plan (2016-20).

To ensure resources are targeted at those in greatest need, the Gansu government intends to build a comprehensive database of the provincial poor. The guaranteed minimum income is being extended to a larger number of families, and a range of new social security policies is being introduced in areas such as education, health and housing.

"When I was assigned to my post nine years ago, I realized that conditions have remained unchanged for decades in some mountain villages," said Diao Xiaoling, a researcher with the publicity department of the Gansu office of poverty alleviation and development. "Now, things have really changed: people no longer dress in tattered clothes, houses are being renovated, residents are being relocated and new infrastructure is under construction - even people's attitudes have changed."

Online opportunities

Until recently, Zeng Xueyi didn't know how to access online shopping portals on his low-end smartphone. Since his teenage years, the 60-year-old resident of Chengxian county in the city of Longnan, has earned a living by raising honeybees and selling the honey to his neighbors.

Last year, a concrete road was built to link Zeng's remote mountain village with a small road about two-hours away that connects with a major highway. The improved communications and transportation links convinced Zeng to expand his business. Now, after a few lessons from his adopted son on how to use the internet, he is attempting to exploit e-commerce opportunities via online dealers.

In the old days Zeng earned about 0.5 yuan for each kilogram of honey he produced, but now the same amount sells for 50 to 80 yuan via online channels. Two traditional hives have housed Zeng's bees for the majority of his career, but seeking improved productivity he has taken out a small loan from an aid program and invested in 20 modern hives, which will allow him to raise more bees.