Liudanzhukeng White Crane Village

　　    Liudanzhukeng Village, also known as White Crane Village, is a secluded small mountain hamlet under the Shangliu Village Committee of Xinzhou Town, Yangdong County. It is approximately 15 kilometers from Xinzhou Town and 2 kilometers from the Shangliu Village Committee. The village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only one entrance. In front of the village lies a small fish pond, while fields, rivers, and paths intertwine in an orderly fashion nearby. Pine forests, bamboo groves, and fruit orchards are lush and vibrant, and the air is exceptionally fresh.

　　    Thanks to this beautiful and comfortable ecological environment, over the past two decades, countless white cranes have been drawn here to “settle down,” nest, and raise their young. The villagers live in remarkable harmony with them—white cranes are often seen visiting villagers’ homes, strolling across the open spaces in front of the village, or playing with children. They rise and work with the villagers at sunrise and return with them at sunset. Sometimes they even labor alongside the villagers in the fields. While villagers plow the fields, the cranes catch small fish, creating a delightful scene reminiscent of a paradise on earth.

　　    More than twenty years ago, the white cranes chose this “auspicious land” to settle. The elders in the village believed that the cranes symbolize good fortune and bring luck to the community, so they made efforts to protect them. Inspired by the elders, the villagers never disturb bird nests or harm the cranes. Whenever there are storms, local children collect fallen crane nests and chicks from the woods and place them back in the trees. Injured cranes are carefully taken home by villagers to recover. Thanks to the villagers’ protection, the crane population has grown year by year, making the area a renowned haven for white cranes. However, the cranes’ fame has also attracted poachers. Watching the cranes being harmed has been heartbreaking for the villagers. In recent years, the community has reached a consensus: protecting the cranes means protecting their own home. As a result, warning signs have been erected at the entrance to the village, prohibiting anyone from stealing crane eggs or hunting the birds. The villagers have also voluntarily formed a crane protection team, consisting of elders and young members of the community.

　　    Since the early 1990s, under the leadership of the Shangliu Village Committee (formerly the management district), the entire community has engaged in mountain farming and afforestation efforts. Forestry has rapidly developed, with a total afforestation area of over 17,000 mu and a forest coverage rate of 100%. This has not only significantly improved the ecological environment of Shangliu but also brought considerable economic benefits, generating over 2 million yuan in collective income for the village. The majority of these funds have been invested in public welfare projects. These include constructing 17.2 kilometers of paved roads, successively completing the paved road from Shangliu to Rexin, the paved road from the Village Committee to Beiwang Village, the paved road from the Village Committee to Xiangshui Village, and the road from the Village Committee to Lingnan Village, resolving long-standing transportation difficulties for residents. The village also invested 40,000 yuan in building Shangliu Primary School, over 20,000 yuan in repairing water conservancy facilities in various natural villages—including more than 5,000 yuan specifically for Lingnan Village—and 30,000 yuan in purchasing rural cooperative medical insurance for the villagers.