Hebei’s No. 1 Village

Hebei’s No. 1 Village

“The richest village” is a symbol, and “the richest village” is a starting point.

The path of industrialization transformed a once impoverished village into Hebei’s wealthiest, while also presenting a harmonious picture of coexistence between humans and nature.

In 1993, Kaiping Banbidian was named “Hebei’s No. 1 Village” by the provincial Party committee and government. It became a benchmark for accelerated rural development in Tangshan after the reform and opening-up.

In 1978, Banbidian used 90,000 yuan in compensation for young crops to build its first village-run enterprise. Today, it has developed into a comprehensive enterprise group led by steel production, with integrated agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry, achieving an annual production capacity of 2 million tons each of iron, steel, and steel products.

Economic development has been accompanied by advances in social welfare. In 1985, a labor insurance system was implemented for villagers. Today, retired farmers here receive a monthly pension of nearly 500 yuan per person, while residents enjoy free medical care and social endowment insurance. In 1992, the village residential renovation project was launched.

Today, the per capita living area exceeds 60 square meters. The village boasts the largest village-level cultural activity center in China, with complete infrastructure including water, electricity, heating, gas, broadband internet, and cable TV. It also features schools, hospitals, parks, bathhouses, and a cultural center. Surrounded by green protective forests on the village outskirts, over 100,000 square meters of green space within the village are lush with vegetation and blooming flowers, painting a new rural picture of harmony between humans and nature.

In 1993, Banbidian was named “Hebei’s No. 1 Village” by the Hebei Provincial Party Committee and Government. Since being honored as a “National Advanced Village Committee” by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 1995 and a “National Advanced Unit in Creating Civilized Villages and Towns” by the Central Civilization Commission in 1999, it has been successively recognized as a provincial-level civilized and hygienic village. It has also been awarded honorary titles by the provincial Party committee and government, including “21st Century Pioneering Spirit Unit,” “Civilized Ecological Demonstration Village,” and “Democratic Legal System Demonstration Village.” In 2003, it was named one of the “Top Ten Well-Off Villages in China” by eight media outlets including China National Radio. In 2005, it was honored as a “National Star Village in Well-Off Construction” by the Township Work Committee of the China Association of Social Workers. The Banbidian Village Party organization has also been rated as an advanced grassroots Party organization at the provincial and municipal levels for 18 consecutive years.