46 3 Nine Year Compulsory Education in a Poor District ...
The natural conditions in Ansai County can be harsh, soil erosions is seri-
ous, and drought not uncommon. Initiatives have been taken under national envi-
ronmental programmes to return some farmland to forest to reduce erosion and
the forest and grass coverage increased from 18 % in 1998 to the present 31 %.
Greenhouse market gardening, livestock, forestry and fruit production have
become the three leading industries in rural areas. The county has developed
with the fiscal support from oil industry within the framework of “building a new
socialist countryside”, adhering to the principles of “industry nurturing agricul-
ture”, “cities supporting rural areas” and the policy of “giving more, taking less
and loosening central control”. There are now over 36,000 greenhouses in pro-
duction with an annual production of fresh vegetables reached more than 110,000
tons. Large numbers of fruit trees have been planted and the livestock industry has
been commercialized.
Map. 3.1 Site 2—Ansai County in Yan’an