Thanks to the high level of education they receive, more young people from the county have sought better lives in big cities, sending money home to help their families. Meanwhile, members of the older generation have been returning, hoping to make a difference in their home area.

Huang Zhigui, a 50-year-old miner who now owns a coal mine, returned after working in Central China's Henan province for 30 years. "I would drink a big bowl of wine to encourage myself before I went below," Huang recalled, adding that it was a worthwhile sacrifice because he has donated most of his savings from the work to help the renovation of a primary school.

"I have tasted the hardships of life as a dropout - our children deserve a better education," he said.

In 2009, Huang returned with the ambition of helping his hometown out of poverty. He invested more than 20 million yuan in a tea factory with and 200 hectares of growing land.

Last year, his tea business became profitable after selling 6 metric tons of tea and generating net earnings of more than 400,000 yuan.

"Investment in agriculture is a long-term business, and I hope it will become a stable business for generations to come," he said.

Li Changhua could hardly make ends meet before she began working at Huang's tea factory, which has provided a stable and major source of income for the 64-year-old and her family.

Former migrant workers account for up to 60 percent of the population in Baihe, which is hampering its economic growth.

"We will continue our efforts in education and provide one-stop services for businesspeople to attract investment and help raise employment levels," Chen Jun, Baihe's Party secretary, said.

Xinhua