(Ecns.cn)--In Zhechuan Township of Nanyang, Henan Province runs the beautiful Danjiang River. However, one of its reservoirs was "unfortunately" selected to be the beginning of the middle route of China's massive South-to-North Water Diversion Project, requiring hundreds of thousands of nearby residents to relocate.
Due to the Project, a dam on the Danjiang River needed to be heightened from 162 meters to 176.6 meters, leaving the homes of 162,000 residents submerged. As a result, these poor families had to move away, most with great reluctance.
By August 25 this year, the last batch of residents in Zhangzhuang Village, Zhechuan Township finally moved out, marking the end of the relocation project in areas near the water reservoir, announced the local authority.
According to Zhao Chuan, a reporter from the Henan Daily who has visited more than 140 villages before residents moved out, the oldest immigrant was 102 years old, while the youngest was just born to the world 24 hours before having to relocate.
Zhao said she was mostly moved by an 82-year-old grandma, who visited her dead husband's tomb before leaving, but died of great sadness there.
"Do you know why you are moving?" Zhao asked the residents.
"Yes. Beijing is thirsty," answered someone.
"It is a big project for the cause of our country," said another one.
Zhao added that even the primary school kids in grade one knew they would leave their hometown someday. "It was a heart-wrenching relocation, which was hard to understand for people who never experienced it before," noted Zhao.
As the saying goes, east or west, home is the best. Some residents were so reluctant to part with their homes that they decided to take some memorabilia, like the farming tools, to their new homes, while some aged people even took their coffins with them, noted Zhao.
Among all the immigrants, residents in Xianghua County, Zhechuan Township probably made the biggest sacrifice by giving up the largest chili pepper market in China.
According to Xu Hu, former secretary of the Party Committee, "when Xianghua County sneezed, the whole nation's pepper market caught a cold."
Xu added that in the richest village of Xianghua County, "there were over 80 private cars worth above 200,000 yuan and more than 40 trucks. Thus, nobody wanted to move."
