Yao (left) and Zhang Jiansheng, Party secretary of Lijiadian, discuss the scarcity of drinking water on the mountain, a major reason for the resettlement.[Photo by Wu Xiaohui/China Daily]

"Honeysuckle is much better (in terms of earnings) than potatoes," says Chen. She also works as a seasonal worker at the planting base of a honeysuckle company not far from her home, with a daily salary of 80 yuan.

Chen's family was officially lifted out of poverty last year. Her husband works at construction sites 50 kilometers from home. According to Chen, the family of six earned a combined total of around 80,000 yuan in 2019. As of 2020, China's national poverty line is set at 4,000 yuan of annual income per person, a standard that has been raised annually taking into account inflation and other factors.

In 2018, with support from the National Energy Administration, a 5.3-hectare honeysuckle planting project under panels fitted with photovoltaic cells was implemented near the resettlement where Chen's family live. The honeysuckle field was allocated to 16 relocated families for management. Each household can increase its income by 3,120 yuan per year.