#China #Sustainable Development #SANY Group #Daotong Village #Lianyuan

SANY Group's Daotong Village Rural Revitalization Project

In a significant achievement for sustainable rural development, SANY Group's revitalization initiative in Daotong village has been recognized by the China Association of Public Companies as a 2024 Best Practice Case. This pioneering project, started in 2019, exemplifies the integration of advanced aging care, green infrastructure, and eco-agriculture, setting a reference point for rural revitalization efforts on a global scale.

Smart Elderly Care for a Sustainable Future

Daotong village, where the elderly comprise 21% of the population, has implemented an innovative comprehensive care system. This system combines social work expertise, professional caregivers, and cutting-edge smart healthcare technologies. The health center, which serves as a hub for health management, day services, and cultural engagement, accommodates around 12,500 visitors each year. Additionally, personalized care is prioritized, with 631 digital health profiles created for residents.

The project also renovated 17 rental homes to make them more suitable for the elderly, ensuring safety using advanced emergency response technologies. To promote sustainability and replicability of this initiative in other regions, an operational manual has been developed, providing guidelines for implementation.

Advancing Sustainable Rural Infrastructure

The project focuses significantly on improving the infrastructure of Daotong, including the restoration of the local drinking water network and improving the Longtang lake ecosystem to meet WHO water quality standards. Furthermore, a solar-powered streetlight network comprising 530 units has been installed, cutting annual carbon emissions by 42 tons while illuminating main roads. This innovative micro-fund strengthens community governance by financing public space enhancements and promoting a model of co-creation, co-management, and co-sharing.

Robust agriculture reforms have revitalized 158 acres of previously fallow land. By adopting chemical-free farming practices, the project has created 64 jobs and enabled over 40 impoverished families to achieve stable income levels. Crop diversification has introduced high-value products, including multicolored rice and “light snow” strawberries, to broader markets, significantly enhancing their agricultural worth.

Cultural and Educational Empowerment

The Daotong Academy and a network of volunteers have formed a cultural revitalization matrix, conducting 110 training sessions on smart agricultural tools and nature-based education. More than 1,057 villagers have benefited from these initiatives, with a total of 97 dedicated volunteers contributing over 3,000 hours of service annually. Community events, such as the Farmer's Harvest Festival, have attracted around 1,100 participants, strengthening community bonds and cultivating a unique rural cultural identity.

Guided by the ethos of “infusing scientific knowledge for the public good,” SANY Group and the SANY Foundation prioritize data-driven monitoring and professional operations to ensure long-term sustainability. The initiative has been acknowledged as a model community for aging adaptation and serves as a vital part of rural revitalization efforts in Hunan province, winning the Golden Key - China Action for the SDGs award.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, SANY Group aims to deepen its integrated rural development efforts, refining a replicable model for sustainable development that can provide Chinese wisdom and solutions for rural transformation globally. With its commitment to creating a balanced ecosystem where technology and sustainability thrive, the Daotong project stands as a beacon of hope and innovation for rural communities worldwide.