Village factory links Chongqing with the world

Aerial photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows a China-Europe container train ready to depart from Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing, southwest China. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

CHONGQING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Earphones are a common sight on the streets of Brazil, but few would imagine that these little devices were made in a humble village in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, thousands of miles away on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Ren Fuying, a 53-year-old worker in an earphone factory in Liyuan Village, in Chongqing's Qijiang District, spends her working day hunched over heaps of earphone cables. One bundle of finished earphone cable products earns the diligent worker about 3 yuan (about 47 U.S. cents).

Every month, she can earn more than 2,000 yuan by combing through the tangled cables and packing them for export. The finished products will then be sent to faraway destinations like Brazil and India.

The factory was established in June 2019, consisting of an enlarged living room, with just a few villagers on the staff.

The owner, Liu Hancheng, already had some relevant work experience, rising from low-level worker to self-made manager of an earphone factory outside the village. About eight years ago, Liu built his own earphone plant in Guangzhou, China's major manufacturing hub for electronics.

It was because Liu's sister had to stay at home looking after his parents without any reliable income that the businessman decided to open the earbud factory in his hometown, Liyuan Village.

Keen to boost local industrial development, the village government offered to provide Liu with a factory site and help recruit workers.

As China consolidates its achievements in poverty alleviation and goes all out for rural revitalization, those who have carved out a niche in big cities are of critical importance to the long-term development of villages, said Zhou Shengquan, deputy director of the villagers' committee.

"Their successful experience can be brought back to their hometown to create common wealth for their fellow villages," Zhou added.

Liu was likewise eager to return home and spend more time with his family. The local government's idea of setting up an earphone industry from scratch in the village chimed with his needs.

Now, the once crude factory has been relocated to a two-story building free of charge, thanks to the government's assistance.

"The local government also helped Liu carry out relevant training courses and produce uniforms for his staff. All we want is to help this factory get on the fast track and benefit the entire village," Zhou explained.

Currently, over 100 local villagers are working in Liu's factory, with workers from nearby villages also attracted to the burgeoning industry. Liu's factory can produce up to 10,000 sets of earphones per day, and the products have been sold to hundreds of companies from more than 30 countries.

"The factory now has a complete production line. I plan to strengthen the training, making sure my staff know how to use and maintain the manufacturing facilities. I believe that here in my hometown, my factory has great potential for future growth," said Liu.