Villagers pave a road leading out of Xiazhuang, Wushan county in Chongqing in June 2017. [Photo by Wang Quanchao/Xinhua]

The loss was deeply felt by Mao and he asked the villagers whether they should continue or not. They all said yes. Mao was touched and said even though it might take them 10 more years to build, they must finish the road so that the next generation can live a better life.

Four more villagers lost their lives during the construction.

In 2004, after seven years of hard work, the 8-kilometer-long, 2-meter-wide road was finally completed. It's more than a road, it's a route to overcome poverty.

Mao then led the villagers to grow oranges. Even though at first, the 33-hectare orange fields were almost all destroyed by pests, he didn't give up. Neither did the villagers.

"We are not afraid of failure, and the key is to find out why the pests were able to cause such havoc,"Mao says. Specialists were brought in to teach the villagers how to grow the fruit. Last year, the orange yield was nearly 40 metric tons.

According to Mao, as it's about time to harvest orange, the yield this year will be higher than last year.

The young villagers have taken the baton to revitalize their hometown. Mao Lianzhang, a 29-year-old, came back to Xiazhuang to start an e-commerce business selling oranges and watermelons. Peng Gan, a 27-year-old, returned to the village to be a teacher after graduating from college.

By the end of 2019, 269 villagers had overcome poverty. The poverty headcount ratio has been reduced to 0.29 percent and the average per capita income has reached 12,000 yuan ($1,829).

Mao has a bigger dream-to not only let the villagers go out, but also bring tourists in-19 rural houses in the village have been transformed into homestay for tourists.

"In a couple of years, when tourism continues to develop, our income will double again," Mao says.