Hidden in a valley of the arid mountains between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Northwest China, the village of Bulenggou was once a remote place with no paved road to the outside world.

Difficult geography and the area's harsh environment meant the village, in Dongxiang autonomous county of Linxia, Gansu province, was plagued by water shortages, ramshackle houses, poor education, low incomes and other severe problems.

But things have changed since Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, made a stop at the village during his inspection visit in Gansu on Feb 3, 2013. Xi said great efforts should be made to help the villagers lead a well-off life by ensuring the water supply, building roads and supplying free, better quality housing.