"We've ridden the wave of tourism development and realized our dream."

Li's life is the epitome of the positive changes that have taken place across the village.

Simola means "a happy place" in the ethnic Va language and, for the past 500 years, the village has been mostly populated by the Va people.

However, until a few years ago, the village had fallen into disrepair as locals struggled with poverty. They used to worry about rain leaking into their thatched houses in summer and the chill seeping in through the thin walls in winter.

The local authority has strived to revitalize Simola over the years. Unattended farmlands, washroom facilities and animal pens have been transformed into parks, grasslands, pavilions or public squares.

"It was filthy and stinky, and I could smell it from my own yard," Luo Zhuangdi recalls, referring to a vacant lot in front of her house.

Luo readily answered the village's call to upgrade the rural environment a few years ago and took the initiative to dismantle an unsightly and poorly equipped toilet in the neighborhood.

Now, it is enjoyable to chat with her neighbors in those public spaces.

"We turned a space of 3,310 square meters into parkland, which has not only improved living conditions, but also satisfied the needs of local people and tourists alike in terms of leisure and entertainment," says Zhao Jiaqing, an official with Qingshui.

Zhao says he still feels moved by the president's words during his visit, which further confirms to him that he made the right choice returning to the village in 2010 after venturing into the outside world.