– Integrated Smart Elderly Care, Green Infrastructure, and Eco-Agriculture Offer Globally Replicable Rural Model
SHANGHAI, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The China Association of Public Companies recently recognized SANY Heavy Industry and the SANY Foundation’s rural revitalization project in Daotong Village, Lianyuan City, Hunan Province as a 2024 Best Practice Case for Rural Revitalization by Listed Companies. Launched in 2019, this flagship initiative supports China’s rural revitalization and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project integrates smart elderly care, green infrastructure, and eco-agriculture, establishing a sustainable and replicable model for global rural development.
Smart Elderly Care: Building a Sustainable Aging-Friendly System
In Daotong Village, where the elderly constitute 21% of the population, an initiative has established a comprehensive care system that blends the expertise of social workers, professional caregivers, and cutting-edge smart healthcare technology. The central healthcare facility, now a hub for health management, daytime care, and cultural engagement, accommodates 12,500 visits each year. The facility has created 631 digital health profiles to provide personalized care for each resident. Additionally, in collaboration with both public and private sectors, the project has facilitated aging-friendly renovations in 17 low-income homes, ensuring their occupants’ safety with advanced emergency response technologies. To ensure the initiative’s sustainability and potential replication elsewhere, a team has compiled a standardized operational manual.
Green Infrastructure: Driving Sustainable Rural Progress
The project upgraded Daotong’s infrastructure, including overhauling its drinking water network and restoring Longtang Lake’s ecosystem to meet WHO water standards. A 530-unit solar-powered streetlight network cuts annual carbon emissions by 42 tons while illuminating all main roads. The innovative Daotong Micro-Fund empowers community governance, funding eight public space upgrades and fostering a “co-creation, co-management, and co-sharing” model.
The project revitalized 158 acres of abandoned farmland through chemical-free farming, creating 64 jobs and lifting over 40 impoverished households to stable income levels. The introduction of high-value products like multicolor brown rice and “light-snow” strawberries to broader markets has significantly enhanced their agricultural value.
Culture & Education: Unleashing Rural Soft Power
The Daotong Academy and volunteer network form a cultural revitalization matrix. The academy has hosted 110 training sessions on smart farming tools and nature-based education, benefiting 1,057 villagers. A dedicated 97-member volunteer team contributes over 3,000 service hours annually. Cultural initiatives, such as the Farmers’ Harvest Festival, have drawn 1,100 participants, strengthening community cohesion and building a unique rural cultural identity.
Guided by the ethos of “providing scientific knowledge for public benefits”, SANY Heavy Industry and the SANY Foundation prioritize data-driven monitoring and professional operations to ensure long-term sustainability. The project has been honored as a National Model Aging-Friendly Community, a Key Rural Revitalization Initiative in Hunan Province, and a Golden Key – China Action for SDGs awardee.
Moving forward, SANY Group will deepen its integrated rural development efforts, refining a globally replicable model that promotes sustainable development and contributes Chinese wisdom and the SANY Solution to rural transformation worldwide.
SOURCE SANY Group
