Liuminying, a small village south-west of Beijing, is an environmentalist's dreamland. It has emerged as a world-famous model of a perfect ecological village. The United Nations Environmental Programme (unep) has recognised the farm's leader Zhang Zhanlin as one of the 500 global environment specialists. Recently, journalists from several countries visited the farm as part of a field visit which was included in a unep-sponsored workshop, 'Reporting for sustainable development in Asia Pacific region' in Beijing.
The village supports 900 residents who follow a collective farming system. Forestry, animal husbandry and fishery provide additional economic dividends. On an average, a villager earns us $448 today compared to us $53 in 1982. The local peasants live in two-storey homes equipped with modern amenities.There are two methane-generating stations in the village which supply an underground network of water, electricity and gas. The rewards came after more than 10 years of hard work and an investment of us $2.35 million.
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