For generations, rural communities across Africa have watched their young people leave in search of better opportunities in cities. But in a remote mountain village in southwestern China, a different story is unfolding–one built around connecting communities, improving livelihoods and making rural life more viable.

In Gulu Village, in Sichuan Province, a 750-meter cableway stretches across a deep mountain gorge, offering residents a vital link to the outside world. What might appear to visitors as a scenic attraction has become a symbol of the village’s transformation.

When I travelled from Kenya to Gulu, I wanted to understand how China’s rural revitalization efforts are changing life in communities far removed from its sprawling cities and modern skylines.

The journey revealed a dramatic contrast between the village’s past and present.

According to the village head Zheng Wangchun, residents once faced enormous challenges accessing basic services. Before roads and safer routes reached the area, journeys down the mountain could take days. Children walked for hours to school, healthcare was difficult to access, and many families struggled with inadequate housing, food and electricity.

Progress came gradually. 

A narrow mountain path built in 2003 offered an alternative to dangerous routes along the cliffs. A road reached the area in 2009, while the cableway began operating in 2018, helping overcome some of the geographical barriers that had isolated the community.

Today, tunnels and bridges connect settlements across the mountainous landscape, while infrastructure projects have helped improve access to essential services. 

A pipeline stretching nearly five kilometers brings water to residents, addressing a need that was once difficult to meet.

But Gulu’s transformation is not just about roads, bridges and cable cars. It is also about creating economic opportunities.

Local farmer Lan Xuan says improved transport links have brought more visitors to the area, creating new opportunities to sell local produce and specialties. She says tourists from major Chinese cities are increasingly discovering the village, with social media helping to attract visitors.

For communities seeking sustainable livelihoods, the hope is that better connectivity can generate income and give residents more reasons to remain in their hometowns. 

Yet challenges remain. 

Resident Xiang Yucai points to an ageing population, with many young people having moved to cities with their families. Better infrastructure has improved living conditions, but reversing urbanemigration remains a more complex task.

Gulu’s experience offers a glimpse into China’s broader rural revitalization strategy, which seeks to connect infrastructure development with agriculture, rural industries, public services and improved livelihoods. 

As an African journalist, the journey raised a question that extends far beyond China: Can rural communities become places of opportunity rather than places people feel compelled to leave?

Across Africa, many villages face similar challenges, including poor infrastructure, limited access to healthcare and education, and inadequate economic opportunities. While the circumstances differ, Gulu offers an opportunity to examine how targeted investments in connectivity and local industries can help address some of these barriers. 

The mountains surrounding Gulu have not changed. What has changed is how people navigate them and the possibilities that better connections can create.

Thousands of kilometers away, the same question remains relevant to rural Africa: what would it take to make village life a viable choice for the next generation?