"We had no real roads, we lived in straw huts and when it rained the roofs leaked. There was no electricity. Those days are behind us now. The roads connect the village. We live in concrete houses with running water and electricity. We can buy whatever we like," Li said.

"We are leading better lives. I hope our next generation can build on that and live even better. There are more good days ahead of us."

In early 2015, Li said she had the chance of a lifetime to express her gratitude for the improvements she experienced – she came face-to-face with President Xi Jinping in Kunming when he visited the provincial capital as part of an inspection tour. Li was a member of the Dulongjiang delegation to the city and it was her first time out of the village.

"When I met President Xi, I could feel the care and concern he had for us, I could feel the help and support from the country and the Party," Li said. The group photo she took with the president now takes pride of place in the patio of her home, her beaming smile marking copies of the image on walls, restaurants and other public places throughout the township.

Like Li, Dulongjiang and its Derung residents have become a model of China's comprehensive and wide-reaching poverty alleviation drive, beneficiaries of the unprecedented national aim to eliminate extreme poverty — defined as living with less than 2,300 yuan ($330) in annual income — by the end of this year.

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