Huaxi Village
| Huaxi 华西新市村 | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
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  Huaxi Location in Jiangsu | |
| Coordinates: 31°49′37″N 120°25′52″E / 31.826907°N 120.431176°ECoordinates: 31°49′37″N 120°25′52″E / 31.826907°N 120.431176°E | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Jiangsu |
| Prefecture-level city | Wuxi |
| County-level city | Jiangyin |
| Town | Huashi |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
Huaxi Village (simplified Chinese: 华西新市村; traditional Chinese: 華西新市村; pinyin: Huáxī xīnshì cūn), located in the east of the city centre of Jiangyin, in Jiangsu Province, claims to be the richest village in China.[1] Huaxi calls itself a model socialist village.
About the village
Huaxi Village is known as the "Number One Village Under The Sky". It was founded in 1961.[2]
According to the local authorities, all the villagers (but not the much more numerous migrant workers) have a wealth of at least €100,000. This is a substantial amount by Chinese standards. The village has a multi-sector industry company that is listed on the stock exchange, has bought airplanes and plans to buy ships. The villagers are shareholders and are paid one-fifth of the company's annual profits. In 2011 the company's turnover is expected to grow by about €6.5 billion.
In addition to 2,000 villagers, there are in the area about 20,344 migrant workers and 28,240 nearby villagers.
Wu Renbao (simplified Chinese: 吴仁宝; traditional Chinese: 吳仁寶; pinyin: wú rénbǎo), the former secretary of Huaxi Village Communist Party Committee, developed a plan to turn what used to be a poor rural locality into a modern rich community. Wu Renbao was an investor in raw materials such as aluminium. His son, Wu Xiéen, is the current village chief.
A new landmark skyscraper in Huaxi Village,[3] the 328-meter Longxi International Hotel was opened when the village celebrated its 50th anniversary.[4][5]