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YINCHUAN, Dec. 28-- In the remote Xiamaguan Township of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, swathes of green asparagus sway in the endless loess field. Farmer Dong Yi started growing asparagus in 2017 when local officials encouraged villagers to cultivate the green plant to get out of poverty. "We had never seen asparagus before, and everybody doubted if the plant could survive the harsh environment here," said Dong, 56. "But I decided to try it anyway, because I was struggling to make money." Xiamaguan Township is located deep in the mountains, and the dry weather there leaves it in dire need of water. The township is among Ningxia's poorest, where many people are still struggling to make ends meet. Despite years of prosperity in the coastal regions, pockets of residents still lag behind in China's underdeveloped rural areas, which poses a challenge for the country's battle to wipe out absolute poverty by 2020. In 2017, China had 98.99 million rural people living under the national poverty line of 2,300 yuan (329 U.S. dollars) in annual income. By the end of 2018, the number had dropped by 82.4 million, with 16.6 million still left in poverty. Ningxia is home to one of the largest poor populations in China. However, the asparagus has brought fortunes to Xiamaguan Township, with more than 100 families having been lifted out of poverty since the industry took root there, according to the latest government figures. Currently, more than 130 hectares of asparagus thrive in the fields. | 
